{{Short description|British civil servant (born 1961)}} {{Use British English|date=November 2019}} {{Use dmy dates|date=November 2019}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Jonathan Slater | image = Jonathan Slater.jpg | office1 = Director-General,<br />Economic and Domestic Secretariat,<br />Cabinet Office | predecessor = Melanie Dawes | prime_minister = David Cameron | minister1 = Nicky Morgan <br> Justine Greening <br> Damian Hinds <br> Gavin Williamson | office = Permanent Secretary of the <br />Department for Education | predecessor1 = Chris Wormald | prime_minister1 = David Cameron <br> Theresa May <br> Boris Johnson | birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1961|11|29}} | term_start = April 2016 | term_end = 26 August 2020 | term_start1 = October 2015 | term_end1 = 3 May 2016 | successor2 = Susan Acland-Hood }} '''Jonathan Slater''' (born 29 November 1961) is a former high ranking British civil servant.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|url=http://www.ukwhoswho.com/view/article/oupww/whoswho/U250380|title=SLATER, Jonathan|last=A & C Black|work=Who's Who 2016|publisher=Oxford University Press|year=2015|access-date=2016-04-28}}</ref> From May 2016, he was Permanent Secretary of the Department for Education<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.gov.uk/government/people/jonathan-slater|title=Jonathan Slater - GOV.UK|website=www.gov.uk|access-date=2016-04-28}}</ref> until his abrupt dismissal on 26 August 2020 following a controversy over national school examination grades.
== Career == Slater entered Civil Service in 2001 joining the Cabinet Office, having previously worked for the London Borough of Islington.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":2">{{Cite web|url=http://gender.bitc.org.uk/membership/genderleadershipteam/JonathanSlater|title=Jonathan Slater - MOD|website=Gender|access-date=2016-04-28}}</ref> After four years there, he moved to the Prime Minister's Delivery Unit at Number 10 Policy Unit in 2005, working on NHS reform and the capability review programme. In 2006, he transferred to the Ministry of Justice,<ref name=":2" /> working in the National Offender Management Service as its Director of Performance & Improvement, and then in 2008 as Chief Executive of the Office for Criminal Justice Reform, before being promoted in 2009 to Director-General, Transformation.<ref name=":2" /><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.csap.cam.ac.uk/network/jonathan-slater/|title=Jonathan Slater - Sciences & technology in the service of society|website=www.csap.cam.ac.uk|access-date=2016-04-28}}</ref><ref name=":0" />
In July 2011, Slater moved to the Ministry of Defence as its Director-General, Transformation and Corporate Strategy, encouraged by his former Permanent Secretary Ursula Brennan.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.civilserviceworld.com/interview-ursula-brennan|title=Interview: Ursula Brennan {{!}} Civil Service World|website=www.civilserviceworld.com|access-date=2016-04-28}}</ref> His position was subsequently changed to Director-General, Head Office and Commissioning Services.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-permanent-secretary-for-the-department-for-education|title=New Permanent Secretary for the Department for Education - Press releases - GOV.UK|website=www.gov.uk|access-date=2016-04-28}}</ref><ref name=":0" />
In October 2015, Slater was appointed head of the Economic and Domestic Secretariat at the Cabinet Office, replacing Melanie Dawes. Seven months later he was again promoted to Permanent Secretary of the Department for Education, succeeding Chris Wormald who moved to the then-Department of Health.<ref name=":1"/><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.civilserviceworld.com/articles/news/cabinet-offices-jonathan-slater-new-department-education-perm-sec|title=Cabinet Office's Jonathan Slater is new Department for Education perm sec {{!}} Civil Service World|website=www.civilserviceworld.com|access-date=2016-04-28}}</ref>
In August 2020, the prime minister concluded that there was "a need for fresh official leadership” and Slater announced he was stepping down with effect from 1 September.<ref name="Wednesday">{{cite news |last1=Stewart |first1=Heather |last2=Weale |first2=Sally |title=Top DfE civil servant Jonathan Slater to step down after exams row |url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2020/aug/26/top-dfe-civil-servant-jonathan-slater-to-step-down-after-exams-row |access-date=26 August 2020 |work=The Guardian |date=26 August 2020}}</ref> The general secretary of the FDA union, Dave Penman, attacked the sacking in the following terms": "If it wasn't clear before, then it certainly is now - this administration will throw civil service leaders under a bus without a moment's hesitation to shield ministers from any kind of accountability." Slater was the fifth top civil servant to be sacked in as many months.<ref>{{cite news|title=Chief education civil servant Jonathan Slater sacked after exams row|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-53920146|website=www.bbc.co.uk|date=26 August 2020|access-date=2021-01-25}}</ref>
==See also== *Sally Collier
== References == <references />
== Offices held == {{s-start}} {{s-gov}} {{s-break}} {{s-vac|unknown}} {{s-ttl | title = Director-General,<br />Transformation<br />Ministry of Justice | years = 2009–2011 }} {{s-vac|unknown}} {{s-break}} {{s-vac|unknown}} {{s-ttl | title = Director-General,<br />Head Office and Commissioning Services<br />Ministry of Defence | years = 2011–2015 }} {{s-aft | after = Mark Preston (acting) }} {{s-bef | before = Melanie Dawes }} {{s-ttl | title = Director-General,<br />Economic and Domestic Secretariat,<br />Cabinet Office | years = October 2015–April 2016 }} {{s-aft | after = Shona Dunn }} {{s-bef | before = Chris Wormald }} {{s-ttl | title = Permanent Secretary of the<br />Department for Education | years = 3 May 2016 – 31 August 2020 }} {{s-aft |after=Susan Acland-Hood}} {{s-end}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Slater, Jonathan}} Category:Living people Category:1961 births Category:British civil servants Category:Civil servants in the Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom) Category:Civil servants in the Cabinet Office Category:Civil servants in the Department of Education (United Kingdom) Category:British permanent secretaries Category:Permanent under-secretaries of state for education and skills Category:21st-century British civil servants