Whitehall is not perfect, but neither is it the Blob demonised by the right. This man’s life and work should give it pause
The sense of loss tumbled out in anecdotes exchanged after Wednesday’s funeral of Bob Kerslake, the former head of the civil service and one of the greatest public servants of our era. The words recurred: integrity, decency, a force to be reckoned with, far-sighted, driven by values of social justice and equality, a wise adviser, kind, reflective, funny, humble, sensitive, rock steady and lovable.
The funeral was, of course, in Sheffield, his adopted home, for his career was defined by municipal rescue of the city. When he took over as chief executive, in 1997, the council was in crisis, crippled with debt. This was a depressed city, losing its identity without steel.
Polly Toynbee is a Guardian columnist
