Wednesday 9 November 2011

Dame Lesley Strathie Steps Down

As first predicted on this site in August, Dame Lesley Strathie is stepping down from her role as CEO of HMRC.

It seems, according to media reports, she has cancer and her health is deteriorating.

HMRC (note they have yet to announce Strathie's departure on their website) state that Clasper will provide "leadership" and Dave Hartnett will continue to act as interim principal accounting officer.




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25 comments:

  1. This appeared on the intranet this afternoon. Even with all the baiting it is sad to see someone with cancer having to step down. I wish her all the best.

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  2. No one wishes cancer on anyone and obviously I wish for a speedy recovery.

    We should not lose sight of the fact that DLS presided over a period of deteriorating services and poor performance. The actions of EXCOM in her four odd years have been less than commendable.

    The statements from GOD earlier this week to the PAC virtually confirmed the rumours that HMRC is under special measures. There really is no good news waiting to be delivered.

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  3. As usual, keeping the job within the same old gang. The idea of hiring someone who may be competent is just too risky for that lot. Turkeys don't vote for Xmas!

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  4. No one who is competent would take the job on. There is a whiff of desperation amongst the higher ups at the mo. I doubt that the outfit is turnaroundable in its current form. Sorry that DLS has cancer, chuffed to see her gone.

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  5. The messages on the HMRC Intranet praising her work are laughable. The department was as bad as it could be. Improving it would have been the simplest of tasks and she and her gang have run it so far into the ground it is beyond belief.

    Create a board from staff on the front line - that'd sort it. As far as cancer goes, there are many staff with cancer who are on the receiving end of management action. They aren't able to fund private health care and face the real prospect of losing a job through sickness. They are the ones I feel for.

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  6. Maybe I am just an old cynic, but the early news on the intranet was Jack, under the headline 'exploding the HMRC vodaphone deal myth'. He then went on about how well they all did at the PAC meeting (LOL) and how HMRC do not do deals. It did not reflect the meeting i watched at all.Then mid morning all change. The new was The Grande Dame's departure. I am sorry to hear she is ill and i do hope she recovers but, it seemed to me they timed the announcement to cover up the disgrace of the PAC meeting. All traces of the earlier headline were removed.

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  7. Hope this doesn’t mean DLS will get the ‘Jade Goody treatment’. Irrespective of illness, the cold, hard facts are that she made a complete pig’s ear of HMRC. That’s it.

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  8. It makes me sad to think the above comments could be coming from fellow HMRC staff

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  9. It makes me sad that HMRC is such a basketcase

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  10. "As far as cancer goes, there are many staff with cancer who are on the receiving end of management action. They aren't able to fund private health care and face the real prospect of losing a job through sickness. They are the ones I feel for."

    I do not work for HMRC but have a relative who does and they had to take a lot of time of due to illness.

    While I would never wish a serious illness on anyone I bet she did not have threats of dismissal thrown at her at every opportunity.

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  11. I work for HMRC.One of my colleagues had a brain tumor, and was pursued relentlessly by management, eager to get rid of her under attendance rules. She had the good sense to die before they could kick her out.Her partner was understandably bitter at the funeral. Strathie, unfotunately you are insulated from this by virtue of seniority.Shame on you.

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  12. You and your tiny pathetic band of 'followers' are sad, sick individuals playing big boys on their computers... Ken Frost, a little man with a website - Ken Frost, big mouthed, arrogant toss-pot with no brain. Ken Frost - a heartless wanker barking about a lost cause.

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  13. "You and your tiny pathetic band of 'followers' are sad, sick individuals playing big boys on their computers... Ken Frost, a little man with a website - Ken Frost, big mouthed, arrogant toss-pot with no brain. Ken Frost - a heartless wanker barking about a lost cause."

    Oh dear, I guess you had a bad stats day then?

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  14. I've known colleagues at 'AO' and 'O' level who have had cancer yet who are thankfully still with us.

    They have done this despite the threat of illness measures - that the management of this evil employer feels it must go through in order to tick boxes. No doubt they'; be interviewed at thier weakest and their indicative pension figures will be quoted as 'gold plated' by the Daily Heil though.

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  15. @23.21

    Away to your white board, pacesetter boy.

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  16. @9 November 2011 20:52
    @9 November 2011 23:21

    I think you'll find it's lower grade HMRC hole-licking managers who are the 'heartless responsible' here and it's the people below them who are being vocal about it through necessity. The comment @9 November 2011 23:14 sadly demonstrates the mentality of some managers.

    Such stories are repeated across HMRC and the civil service. But never mind, we privileged civil servants under threat of dismissal every day for some dastardly misnomer (i.e assisting in putting stories on Kens website) apparently still have our gold plated pensions that our employers have neglected to provide forecasts for for the past 3 years to look forward to.

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  17. Daily Heil = Daily Mail , Daily Heil = Daily Mail , Daily Heil = Daily Mail , Daily Heil = Daily Mail , Daily Heil = Daily Mail , Daily Heil = Daily Mail , Daily Heil = Daily Mail , Daily Heil = Daily Mail , Daily Heil = Daily Mail , Daily Heil = Daily Mail , Daily Heil = Daily Mail , Daily Heil = Daily Mail , Daily Heil = Daily Mail , Daily Heil = Daily Mail , Daily Heil = Daily Mail , Daily Heil = Daily Mail , Daily Heil = Daily Mail , Daily Heil = Daily Mail , Daily Heil = Daily Mail , Daily Heil = Daily Mail , Daily Heil = Daily Mail , Daily Heil = Daily Mail , Daily Heil = Daily Mail , Daily Heil = Daily Mail , Daily Heil = Daily Mail , Daily Heil = Daily Mail , Daily Heil = Daily Mail , Daily Heil = Daily Mail , Daily Heil = Daily Mail , Daily Heil = Daily Mail

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  18. @00:31

    With all that duplication I bet you are involved in designing HMRC systems.

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  19. @10 November 2011 00:52

    Nope, just following the example of the Heil which is to recycle old stories.

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  20. There are some strange things afoot.

    Leaving aside the DLS illness, and resignation. This is now history.

    Who will replace DLS? From the messages of thanks on the intranet, it struck me that Hartnett's message in particular seemed to imply that he was a "seat warmer" rather than the natural successor.

    I was certain he was a shoo in, now, because of his recent troubles, he is too politically toxic to be chief exec.

    The possibility of yet another leader from outside the HMRC is not on the cards again is it?

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  21. Maybe we can get Brodie Clarke signed up for Excom as a reward for being the patsy in the Borders scandal, they like their top people lurchung from one crisis to another, heres the idea opportunity ;-)

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  22. @9:12 Jack now expects big businesses to accept responsibility for the deals he has made with them.

    No, Jack, just no.......


    Since when has a civil servant who ignores the civil service code and engages in deliberate collaboration with a corporation a reasonable defence from a civil servant?

    Come on Dave people on 1/10th your wages have been sacked/careers/lives ruined for far less than this.

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  23. She was a horrible, incompetentt, bitch

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    Replies
    1. No matter what gripe you all have using someones serious illness as another opportunity to vent your bile puts you at the same level as those who mock returning soldiers. Cancer effects 1 in 3 people in this country it's leveller for us all put away your pathetic malice, grow up and if you have nothing good to say shut up.

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  24. i agree with 09:44, having a life threatening disease doesn't all of the sudden excuse her actions, to do so would make you as hypocritical as she was. Trouble is she was only one of a whole barrell of rotten apples, i'm not saying i would wish the same on them but they need to be excised (scuse the pun) from the sorry carcass that is HMCE.

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