An Independent Civil Service?

Douglas Carswell has posted on whether our Civil Service really is impartial and states "state officials made exaggerated claims........", something which one would have to agree is a characteristic of all authoritarian regimes.

Picking up on this question of impartiality one has to question the position of Sir Gus O'Donnell, presently Cabinet Secretary and Head of the Civil Service. Back in 2004, when Permanent Secretary of the Treasury, he co-authored a book with Ed Balls, presently Schools Secretary, who at the time was chief economic adviser to the Treasury, in which position he was considered the 'most powerful unelected person in Britain'.

Accepting that, as private individuals, civil servants will hold political opinions, to promote that air of impartiality such views cannot and must not be made public. Remember also that Gus O'Donnell is to 'regulate' the further activities of Special Advisors.

The question has to be asked - how can someone who holds views so in tune with that of the ruling political party and having made those views known publicly, remain 'impartial'?