
← The Civil Service World Podcast12 jun · 35 min
The UK's strategy gap, and how to fill it: In conversation with Catherine Day
<p>Catherine Day spent 25 years as a civil servant, including a posting as the UK's spokesperson in Iran and senior posts in No.10, Cabinet Office and the FCDO advising ministers and senior officials on national strategy, security and reform.</p><p>In 2023 she left, convinced that our governance system is broken, and that it cannot be fixed from within.</p><p>In this episode, Catherine talks to Suzannah Brecknell about what those 25 years taught her, why she believes there is a critical gap at the centre of our institutions, and what she is doing about it.</p><p>We find out more about the National Strategy Project, which Catherine co-founded, and how civil servants can get involved in the work of renewing our democracy.</p><p>We also explore why biological anthropology – the study of how humans organise to survive and thrive – turns out to be the perfect training for a career in government, and Catherine explains why she remains, despite everything, optimistic.</p><p><br></p><p>Hosted by Suzannah Brecknell </p><p>Recorded and produced by Podot</p><p><br></p>