Growing Pressure on Starmer Over Civil Service Appointment
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer is confronting escalating pressure not to expedite the appointment of a controversial mandarin to lead the civil service, as fresh concerns surface regarding her professional history. The Prime Minister is already facing criticism from within Whitehall and political opponents for ousting Sir Chris Wormald after just over a year, a move seen as a desperate attempt to salvage his premiership.
Concerns Over Recruitment Process and Candidate Record
There are significant apprehensions that Starmer may bypass a comprehensive recruitment process to install his preferred candidate, Dame Antonia Romeo, as Cabinet Secretary. Dame Antonia, a top Home Office official, has come under scrutiny following calls for Downing Street to examine a series of failures that occurred during her tenure at the Ministry of Justice.
This development follows an extraordinary intervention by a former senior diplomat, who urged Number 10 to conduct thorough due diligence on Dame Antonia. This includes addressing hotly disputed allegations of bullying during her time as HM Consul General to New York, from which she was later exonerated.
Historical Controversies and Policy Failures
A Conservative source highlighted the situation, stating, ‘Given his record of appalling judgement and the revolving door at the top of his Government, Keir Starmer must be very careful about who he appoints as his next Cabinet Secretary.’ As initially reported by the Mail on Sunday in 2017, Dame Antonia was instrumental in a disastrous £4 billion privatisation of the probation service, which ultimately had to be abandoned.
She led the Transforming Rehabilitation programme, asserting in 2014, ‘My job as senior responsible officer is to make sure we deliver the benefits of the programme. We need to really understand what’s going on – and there are no prizes for not listening.’ However, the reforms, which involved private firms supervising released prisoners, were later condemned as ‘irredeemably flawed’ by watchdogs and completely scrapped.
Expert Criticism and Additional Scandals
Richard Garside, Director of the Centre for Crime and Justice Studies, commented, ‘She dutifully implemented Chris Grayling’s decision but a number of people felt at the time she could have pushed back harder on that. She hung around long enough to implement it but not to pick up the pieces as the mess developed.’
Upon returning to the Ministry of Justice as Permanent Secretary in 2021, Dame Antonia defended the probation service to MPs, insisting it was performing ‘an absolutely excellent job.’ Yet, a damning report by the Public Accounts Committee concluded that performance had deteriorated since probation was brought under full public control in 2021.
Further criticism stems from the MoJ’s decision to sign a 10-year lease on HMP Dartmoor in March 2022, costing taxpayers up to £100 million, despite awareness of high radon gas levels. The prison has been closed on safety grounds since July 2024. PAC chairman Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown described it as a ‘perfect example of a department reaching for a solution, any solution, in a blind panic and under pressure.’ When questioned, Dame Antonia simply responded, ‘It is the contract.’
Mixed Reviews and Supportive Voices
Despite these issues, some colleagues offer a more nuanced perspective. One former MoJ associate noted that while her tenure there was not highly successful, many problems were beyond her control. This senior figure argued she remains the best candidate to lead the civil service, praising her intelligence, practical advice, and effectiveness in ‘Whitehall chess.’ They added, ‘She’s a ruthless operator who serves her political master. I’m not sure she inspires massive confidence in her underlings but you want someone who is loyal to the Secretary of State, not the blob.’
A Government source echoed support, stating, ‘Antonia is a disrupter. She isn’t settled with the status quo. She is one of the few senior officials that has always fought against the computer says no culture embedded in the British state. In light of the crisis we face as a country, Antonia is exactly the leadership the civil service need to embrace systemic reform to rewire the state, take on vested interests and deliver for the British people.’
Broader Concerns Over Civil Service Management
Meanwhile, a former Cabinet Secretary has urged Starmer to ‘get a grip’ on his special advisers following anonymous briefings against the ousted Sir Chris Wormald, who is now eligible for a £260,000 payoff. Lord O’Donnell remarked to the BBC, ‘Where it’s shabby is the fact that we’ve got to this place and that they have briefed anonymously against the cabinet secretary saying it’s not working.’
As the debate intensifies, the appointment of Dame Antonia Romeo as the potential first female head of the civil service remains a contentious issue, with Starmer’s leadership under close scrutiny amid calls for transparency and due diligence in the selection process.
