A field guide to Whitehall’s mandarins 

Britain’s civil service is supposed to be the envy of the world, seamlessly executing the will of whichever government happens to occupy the offices of state. But Mr S wonders whether the reality can be rather different. Disgruntled civil servants have toppled more than one over-mighty minister. Others have admitted actively trying to undermine government policy when it comes to Brexit.

Much like different nations, Whitehall’s various departments – and the people who inhabit them – have their own eccentricities and foibles. So to help readers out, Mr S has put together a guide for the avid Whitehall twitcher, making it easy to spot the difference between the lesser-crested FCO adviser from the bold-headed DFID PermSec:

Treasury: Economics graduate, preferably Oxbridge. Considered a job with one of the Big Four but found the proximity to power more alluring. Fully aware that a brief stint at the Treasury doesn’t look too bad on the CV.