The controversy surrounding the appointment of the new Cabinet Secretary and historical bullying allegations has escalated dramatically today. Fresh revelations have emerged regarding No10's ethics chief Darren Tierney, who is said to have instructed maintenance staff to forcibly open a secure safe in 2022. This action was reportedly taken because no one possessed the correct combination code to access the container.
Report Retrieval and Subsequent Destruction
According to sources cited by The Sunday Times, Mr. Tierney needed to obtain a copy of a human resources report concerning Dame Antonia Romeo. This document detailed accusations of bullying and misuse of expenses that were leveled against her almost a decade ago. Allegedly, Mr. Tierney later confided to acquaintances that he required the report to assist with the redaction process for a memoir being written by Lord McDonald, the former head of the Foreign Office.
The peer has publicly voiced skepticism about the thoroughness of Dame Antonia's vetting procedure. The Sunday Times further reported that after retrieval, the HR report was destroyed along with other files. This disposal was said to comply with standard civil service protocols, which mandate that such materials should only be retained for a maximum period of three years.
Government Response and Rebuttals
However, senior government insiders have strongly contested this narrative. They insist that another copy of the controversial report remains securely stored within Whitehall. This duplicate was purportedly examined as part of an enhanced due diligence review conducted prior to Dame Antonia's recent appointment.
A Cabinet Office spokesman issued a firm denial today regarding the alleged motives behind accessing the safe. The spokesman stated, 'This is entirely incorrect. A broken safe was manually opened after multiple unsuccessful attempts to open it. This had nothing to do with any HR report or the Cabinet Secretary.'
The spokesman elaborated, 'Antonia Romeo has been appointed as cabinet secretary because she is an outstanding leader with 25 years of public service. She has been appointed to three different Permanent Secretary roles and has led hundreds of thousands of public servants in that time. In this time there was one formal complaint which was raised 9 years ago, thoroughly investigated, and all allegations were dismissed on the basis that there was no case to answer. It is entirely inappropriate to attempt to resurface these dismissed HR proceedings almost a decade later.'
Appointment Amidst Scrutiny
Prime Minister Keir Starmer proceeded with installing Dame Antonia Romeo as the head of the civil service last week, despite lingering concerns from some critics about the vetting process. She replaces Chris Wormald, who was removed from the position barely a year after his initial appointment by the Prime Minister.
Sir Keir publicly defended the decision last week, saying, 'She is an outstanding public servant, with a 25‑year record of delivering for the British people. Since becoming Prime Minister, I've been impressed by her professionalism and determination to get things done.'
The appointment process was reportedly overseen by the Permanent Secretary of the Cabinet Office and the interim Government Chief People Officer, following an enhanced due diligence protocol. This latest episode adds a complex layer to the ongoing briefing war and raises further questions about transparency and procedure at the highest levels of government.
