Christine Bellamy has been appointed as the new chief executive of the Government Digital Service (GDS), succeeding Tom Read who departed in June 2024 after a decade in the civil service and over three years leading GDS. Bellamy, formerly the director of Gov.UK, assumes the role as GDS transitions from the Cabinet Office to the Department for Science, Innovation, and Technology (DSIT).

Christine Bellamy said, “I’m honoured to have the opportunity to lead GDS and our mission to design and deliver the user experience of digital government. Millions of people use our products every week, and we remain committed to working across government and the wider public sector to deliver joined-up, proactive, secure digital services that are better for users and cheaper for the taxpayer.”

Christine Bellamy, who oversaw the transition of the government’s website to a multi-channel approach and led the development of the Gov.uk app as director of Gov.uk, steps into her new role amidst significant changes at GDS. The new Labour government plans to consolidate digital transformation efforts under DSIT, marking a pivotal shift from GDS’s longstanding position within the Cabinet Office since its inception in 2011. This move integrates GDS with the Central Digital and Data Office (CDDO) and the Incubator for AI  under DSIT, aiming to enhance digital advancements across public services.

The government has outlined a key objective to modernize its digital governance framework and has tasked DSIT with undergoing a comprehensive transformation. “partner and standard bearer for government departments as it supports them to use technology across areas like energy, health, policing and education”.

In 2023, a review of the civil service by former Cabinet Office minister Francis Maude recommended that the Government Digital Service (GDS) and the Central Digital and Data Office (CDDO) merge. This recommendation stemmed from concerns that keeping these two organizations separate had led to fragmented accountability and governance within the government. The goal is to streamline operations and enhance efficiency in digital and data initiatives across the public sector.

“The lack of a unified organisational structure degrades the strength of leadership that can be provided by the centre, and absorbs significant amounts of officials’ time in brokering internal coordination rather than delivery,” the review said.