The public sector must be reformed to speed up decisions, strip away layers of management and unlock the potential of its staff, the recently retired head of the UK's Armed Forces has said.
In a blistering attack on the Whitehall 'Blob', Admiral Sir Tony Radakin claimed the state 'isn't working' and is in need of an urgent overhaul.
The former Chief of the Defence Staff was speaking of his own experiences of dealing with the Ministry of Defence, but added: 'It is probably true of the whole government.'
He said billions of pounds of additional investment in defence will be squandered without major changes.
In his first interview as a civilian, Admiral Sir Tony said: 'We lack real accountability. We fail to take risk. We would rather waste money than risk money.
