Antonia Romeo, the permanent secretary at the Home Office, has emerged as the frontrunner to become the next cabinet secretary after Chris Wormald was forced out of the role. Whitehall sources say her appointment is the most likely option, though not yet confirmed, with No 10 understood to be keen on her selection subject to approval from the civil service commissioner.
Romeo, 51, is not a typical civil servant, described by colleagues as charming, ambitious and willing to publicise her own achievements. She was on the shortlist for the role a year ago when Sir Keir Starmer instead opted for Chris Wormald. Her outward-facing style, including attending media events and posting on social media, has drawn criticism from traditionalists but may appeal to Starmer as he seeks to shake up Whitehall.
Her career has followed a conventional trajectory: education at Westminster School and Oxford University, a stint at consultancy Oliver Wyman, then rising through the civil service to become permanent secretary at the Department for International Trade and the Ministry of Justice. She also served as consul general in New York, promoting UK trade and hosting celebrity events, though she faced media criticism over spending which a Cabinet Office investigation cleared.
At the Ministry of Justice, Romeo earned respect for telling Dominic Raab that he must treat staff professionally amid bullying allegations. She has also championed equality as a ‘civil service gender inclusion champion’, earning the label ‘queen of woke’ from the Daily Mail. In a 2022 lecture, she said: ‘At its heart, leadership is about people and creating the conditions for them to thrive.’
