Tories Accuse Starmer of Throwing Top Civil Servant Under Bus in Expected Dismissal
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has launched a scathing attack on Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, accusing him of throwing his Cabinet Secretary "under a bus" with the expected dismissal of Sir Chris Wormald. The controversy erupts as Sir Chris is believed to be on his way out imminently, sparking a fierce political row over the appointment of his potential successor and the timing of the move.
Row Over Appointment Process and Ongoing Scandals
The expected departure of Sir Chris Wormald as head of the civil service comes as Sir Keir Starmer seeks to reset his Downing Street operation following recent controversies. These include the appointments of Lord Peter Mandelson and Lord Matthew Doyle, both of whom have faced scrutiny due to their associations with sex offenders. The Prime Minister's move follows the earlier departures of his chief of staff Morgan McSweeney and communications chief Tim Allan, indicating a broader reshuffle at the highest levels of government.
Rumours suggest Sir Keir intends to replace Sir Chris with Dame Antonia Romeo, the current Home Office permanent secretary. This speculation triggered a highly unusual warning from former top mandarin Lord Simon McDonald, who cautioned against "doing the due diligence too late." Lord McDonald, the ex-permanent secretary at the Foreign Office, emphasised the need for a "full process" to appoint a new Cabinet Secretary, stating it "needs to start from scratch."
Badenoch's Intervention and Demands for Delay
In a letter to the Civil Service Commission, Mrs Badenoch seized on Lord McDonald's intervention to criticise the Prime Minister's expected actions. She wrote, "It is hard to escape the conclusion that the Cabinet Secretary is simply the latest person to be thrown under a bus by this Prime Minister." She expressed particular concern about changing the Cabinet Secretary amid the ongoing scandal over Lord Mandelson's appointment and conduct in office.
Mrs Badenoch urged the commission to advise Sir Keir to delay the sacking until the disclosure of Government files relating to Lord Mandelson—overseen by Sir Chris—is complete. Additionally, she called for the conclusion of a probe led by the top civil servant into the former UK ambassador to Washington's contact with paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein while serving as a government minister.
She argued, "Changing the Cabinet Secretary in the middle of this scandal—or more precisely forcing out the incumbent without any clear process—would be an extraordinary thing to do. Any individual appointed in these circumstances, without a full process to point to and while managing a scandal, could find it difficult to demonstrate impartiality."
Concerns Over Due Diligence and Process
Lord McDonald reinforced these concerns in a televised interview, stating, "This is the most important job in the civil service. It can't be chosen on the fly." He added that if the Prime Minister wants a new Cabinet Secretary, he must start from scratch, emphasising the vital importance of due diligence. "The Prime Minister has recent bitter experience of doing the due diligence too late. It would be an unnecessary tragedy to repeat that mistake," he warned, noting he had attempted to contact Number 10 but received no response.
Dame Antonia Romeo herself has faced previous scrutiny; she was reportedly investigated in 2017 over expenses and bullying claims during her tenure as Britain's consul general in New York, but was later cleared by the Cabinet Office. Government sources have defended her, with one stating, "Antonia Romeo is a highly respected permanent secretary with a 25-year record of excellent public service."
Defence of Romeo and Criticism of Status Quo
A second Government source went further, criticising the opposition and framing Dame Antonia as a reformer. "This is a desperate attempt from a senior male official whose time has passed but spent their career getting Britain into the mess it finds itself in today—a 'computer says no' culture that cannot challenge the status quo," the source said. They praised Dame Antonia as a disrupter who fights against entrenched bureaucratic attitudes, arguing she is the leadership needed for systemic reform to rewire the state and deliver for the British people amidst national crises.
The source also addressed the allegations against Dame Antonia, stating they stem from a single grievance by a former employee and were dismissed as having no case to answer. Sir Chris Wormald's expected departure marks a significant shift, coming just 14 months after his appointment as the UK's top civil servant and the Prime Minister's most senior policy adviser. His career civil servant background had raised eyebrows initially, coinciding with Sir Keir's push to rewire the British state, adding another layer to the current political turmoil.
