Civil service neutrality means that civil servants must be non-partisan. They must serve whoever is the elected government of the day. They must be responsible and responsive to the government’s policies. They must obey the lawful political wishes of whomever is in power and serve governments of any party with the same degree of commitment.
They must act in the interest of the government and no other alternative public interest. Their own political leanings must not stand in the way of diligent translation of the ruling party’s political goals into workable policies and plans. They must understand that politicians have democratic legitimacy while civil servants do not. Officials must accept that politicians have the last word.
