Bullying Investigation Into Top Civil Servant Candidate Found 'Serious Case to Answer'
A formal investigation into bullying allegations against Dame Antonia Romeo, the leading candidate to become the United Kingdom's next Cabinet Secretary and head of the civil service, reportedly concluded there was a 'serious case to answer'. However, this finding was subsequently ignored by the Cabinet Office, according to officials involved in the case. The controversy emerges as Dame Antonia, currently the most senior official at the Home Office, is widely expected to secure the permanent role following the recent dismissal of Sir Chris Wormald.
Allegations and Investigation Details
The allegations stem from Dame Antonia's tenure as consul-general in New York in 2017, during which she was on secondment from the Cabinet Office. The Foreign Office conducted a full investigation into multiple concerns raised by staff members, which determined there was a substantial case to address. A Whitehall source revealed to The Times that 'multiple concerns made by multiple staff' were involved, significantly impacting morale within the US operation and undermining efforts to address inappropriate behaviour across the organisation.
Officials who raised the concerns have described the outcome as resembling a 'cover-up', alleging that Dame Antonia's allies engaged in a 'chilling' campaign to silence them. The source questioned how the Cabinet Office could dismiss the case without conducting its own investigation, stating, 'The Foreign Office did a full investigation and found a serious case to answer which the Cabinet Office then ignored.'
Defence and Counterclaims
In response, allies of Dame Antonia have vigorously defended her record, noting that she has led three Government departments since her time in New York without incident. Rupert McNeil, who served as head of HR for the Government during the 2017 probe, asserted that the investigation he oversaw was 'done thoroughly and independently' and concluded there was no case to answer. He condemned the allegations as 'reprehensible and hypocritical', arguing they undermine the integrity of civil service investigations.
Sir Matthew Rycroft, the UK permanent representative to the UN at the time, supported this view, confirming that the decision-maker was the CEO of the civil service, who found no case to answer, with agreement from the cabinet secretary. He stated, 'I can confirm that I too was satisfied there was no case to answer in relation to the single formal complaint that was made.'
Political Context and Reactions
The Cabinet Office has maintained that only one formal complaint was raised nine years ago, which was thoroughly investigated and dismissed due to lack of evidence. A spokesperson emphasised that decisions were made by the Cabinet Office as standard practice, given Dame Antonia's secondment status. Downing Street has also defended Dame Antonia, with the Prime Minister's official spokesman praising her as 'an outstanding leader with a 25-year record of excellent public service' and refusing to comment on confidential HR processes.
This controversy coincides with reports that Sir Keir Starmer intends to appoint Dame Antonia to replace Sir Chris Wormald, who received a £260,000 payout upon his sacking, as part of a broader effort to reset his premiership. Dame Antonia was previously shortlisted for the Cabinet Secretary role in December 2024 before Sir Keir selected Sir Chris, whom he has now dismissed. Lord Simon McDonald, her former boss, has urged the Prime Minister to restart the recruitment process from scratch to ensure proper due diligence is conducted.
