Dave Penman, general secretary of the FDA union representing senior civil servants, has condemned anonymous attacks on Cabinet Secretary Chris Wormald as "political cowardice", warning that the criticism is damaging the government's ability to recruit top officials.
The criticism follows reports that No 10 has experienced "buyer's remorse" since Sir Keir Starmer appointed Wormald in December, with aides allegedly viewing him as "insipid" and resistant to change. The Times reported this week that Wormald was unlikely to remain in post beyond January.
Penman said Wormald was "the civil servant's civil servant" and that even if he were failing, this was not the way to deal with it. He added that the anonymous attacks were "hugely damaging" and would deter future candidates from taking on top roles.
Other senior civil service figures have questioned what Starmer expected from the appointment. One described the criticism as unfair, saying there had been "a deliberate choice to go low-energy". Another noted that Wormald had helped Michael Gove implement reforms at the Department for Education between 2012 and 2014.
Downing Street insisted on Wednesday that Wormald continues to have the Prime Minister's support, with officials working closely together on priorities. However, a spokesperson acknowledged that Starmer's "general position" was that he would like "things to move further and faster". Several cabinet ministers are understood to have concerns, with one suggesting Olly Robbins would have been a much better appointment. Former colleagues at the Department of Health said they were unsurprised by the difficulties, citing low morale during his tenure and failures over pandemic preparedness and the infected blood scandal.
Some Labour figures believe removing Wormald would raise questions about Starmer's political judgment, particularly given the departure of other senior figures. One Labour source said: "Everyone knows how it looks. But worse would be to carry on and just attempt to find a way to sideline him."
