Whitehall civil servants discuss withdrawal from X after Guardian leaves Elon Musk’s platform

A civil servant wrote: “[The] Guardian recently announced they're coming off it which is quite significant. Does anyone know of any formal guidance on the use of X for external comms?”

Another official asked whether any government departments are using BlueSky or Threads, two alternative platforms to X.

They wrote: “With performance on X consistently becoming worse (and of course the controversy), we're considering a new platform. We currently only use Linkedin and X, with strong performance on Linkedin.”

Civil servants from various government departments replied to the questions with their own views on whether to quit X.

One said he was “very interested to hear how departments are planning to navigate the gradual decline of X” and was debating whether to join Threads, Instagram and “eventually phase out X”.

The mandarin said “we're also intrigued by BlueSky given all the recent buzz around it. While BlueSky has 'only 18 million users so far compared to Threads' 100+ million, it does seem like a platform worth exploring.”

Following Elon Musk’s purchase of Twitter, which he renamed to X, many prominent figures on the Left have withdrawn from the site and joined BlueSky, a small platform in comparison with X.

Connor Tomlinson, a political commentator from the Lotus Eaters website, told GB News: “Yet again, civil servants demonstrate that impartiality is a fallacy.”

“This "buzz" around BlueSky is just a tantrum thrown by sensitive Leftist ideologues, who can't face criticism.”

“The consternation that government employees have over X committing to free-speech, once pioneered by Britain's legal system, might explain their reluctance to carry out the will of Conservative ministers over the last fourteen years.”

Another official warned that BlueSky “is likely to have a small number of daily active users in the UK” and said that “has three times as many active daily users compared to Threads (7m in UK) and BlueSky combined”.

He confirmed that his department is keeping its X account and opening an account on Threads, concluding that “I can't see the value in Bluesky just yet, until there are more accounts in the UK”.

One civil servant pointed out that a public body, the “CIPR (Chartered Institute of Public Relations) announced last week that they will cease engagement on X”.

Robert Bates, a political commentator, said: “Britain’s civil servants have a clear aversion to competent, well-run organisations so it is no surprise that Musk has put their noses out of joint.”

“Musk is aiming to put people on Mars, our civil servants are confused as to which toilet they should use, and obsessed with talking about race.”

“Musk is the richest man in the world, our civil servants splurge billions each year on foreign aid, asylum seekers, and EDI,” he added.

“The fact that so many thought that a few left-wing luvvies leaving X would bring about its demise reveals the out-of-touch echo chamber these pampered failures inhabit.”

“The day that we can take a scythe to Whitehall in the same way Musk did with Twitter is the day Britain can begin its rebuild.”

“These people have never had an original thought in their lives and have evidently been captured by the anti-success group think that pervades Westminster.”

One communications official said that “at present, no government or ministerial accounts [are] opening on Bluesky [and we are] monitoring the platform's development”.

He confirmed that “ advice centrally is to remain on X”.

A Cabinet Office spokesperson said: “There is no change to our position on using X.”

"As you would expect the government is continually looking at how it can ensure communications activity reaches the biggest audience."