Government turmoil deepened after the cabinet secretary stepped down, with allies and critics clashing over the pace of change at the top of Whitehall. Attention is now turning to whether Antonia Romeo will be confirmed as the next head of the civil service…reports Asian Lite News
Keir Starmer’s effort to reset his administration moved into a new phase after the cabinet secretary, Chris Wormald, stepped down, with Antonia Romeo widely expected to emerge as the frontrunner to succeed him. The move, described by Downing Street as having been agreed “by mutual consent”, comes amid continuing fallout from the row over Peter Mandelson and follows days of intense speculation about the future of the government’s most senior official.
The decision prompted anger in parts of the civil service, with some questioning the manner and speed of the departure. One individual said the mood among senior figures was “sulphurous”, reflecting unease about what they saw as a readiness to remove long-serving officials amid political pressure.
The Conservative leader, Kemi Badenoch, said the cabinet secretary had become the “latest person Keir Starmer has thrown under the bus to save his own skin”.
Senior Labour figures and the former permanent secretary Simon McDonald urged caution about moving too quickly to install a successor, arguing that due diligence should be rigorous given the recent turnover in key posts around the prime minister. Whitehall sources defended proceeding swiftly if the civil service commissioner approves, noting that Romeo had been judged appointable little more than a year ago.
Wormald is understood to have lost the prime minister’s confidence over the process that led to Mandelson’s appointment as ambassador, and over concerns that he had not been sufficiently proactive in pushing civil service reform. Reports that Wormald could receive a substantial payout were not denied by No 10, including claims that Starmer had been required to overrule official objections through a formal ministerial direction, a mechanism used when officials cannot justify spending, usually on value-for-money grounds.
The departure leaves further gaps at the top of government after earlier this week’s exits of the prime minister’s chief of staff, Morgan McSweeney, and his communications director, Tim Allan. Wormald informed permanent secretaries on Wednesday morning that he would stand down and left the Cabinet Office later that day, though confirmation did not come for more than 24 hours.
“What a message this all gives to public servants, political and official,” one senior government insider said. “Keir Starmer says let’s change things, let’s be bold. But the moment it gets tough, ‘you’ll be out the door to save my skin’. “Antonia will need eyes in the back of her head to spot the knives Keir is wielding.”
The Cabinet Office said a process would now begin to appoint a successor, with responsibilities split on an interim basis between Romeo, Cat Little and James Bowler. Some allies of the prime minister warned privately against rushing. “Keir needs to wait for things to calm down before crashing into another set of bad decisions in a panicky way because he’s feeling boxed in. When you’re in a hole, stop digging,” one said.
Romeo, currently permanent secretary at the Home Office, is viewed by supporters as an energetic reformer from outside the traditional mould. McDonald said that “more due diligence” should take place and that a full competition would be appropriate. Questions have previously been raised about her spending while consul general in New York in 2017. A Cabinet Office investigation later cleared her of wrongdoing, and government sources say the criticism rests on a single grievance that was dismissed.
Backers point to her record, including support within the civil service for warning Dominic Raab, then justice secretary, about behaviour that was later judged to amount to bullying. She is also said to have impressed Shabana Mahmood.
In a statement, Wormald said: “It has been an honour and a privilege to serve as a civil servant for the past 35 years, and a particular distinction to lead the service as cabinet secretary. I want to place on record my sincere thanks to the extraordinary civil servants, public servants, ministers and advisers I have worked with.
“Our country is fortunate to have such dedicated individuals devoted to public service, and I wish them every success for the future.”
Starmer said: “I am very grateful to Sir Chris for his long and distinguished career of public service, spanning more than 35 years, and for the support that he has given me over the past year. I have agreed with him that he will step down as cabinet secretary today. I wish him the very best for the future.”
The FDA union’s general secretary, Dave Penman, described the briefing surrounding the exit as extraordinary and said it was “no way to run a country”. Philip Rutnam, a former permanent secretary at the Home Office, said negative briefings against individual officials were “deeply destabilising” and risked sapping morale across Whitehall.
