Three decades of public sector reform have altered politico/administrative relations in the UK. This article looks into the changing relationships between senior civil servants and their ministers in British central administration. Using the concept of the public service bargain (PBS), three dimensions of this relationship are investigated: rewards, competencies and loyalty/responsibility. The main findings of the research point towards an emerging ‘hybrid’ public service bargain, instead of a full blown ‘managerial’ bargain, as much of the current literature suggests. The article concludes with some future prospects for the public service bargain in the United Kingdom.
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