Civil servants are employees and have to do as instructed, as a civil servant but not in Whitehall i would know.
Labour have made some decent changes which are out there for all to see so don`t ask me to list them, just like to Tories who did some good things too.
They are certainly not lame duck.
TBH its good to see MP`S voting to their beliefs and for there constituents for a change and not be ordered by the whip