Keir Starmer has forced out his most senior civil servant, Chris Wormald, after just over a year as cabinet secretary, in a move described by insiders as brutal. Wormald stepped down 'by mutual consent' and is expected to be succeeded by Antonia Romeo, who would become the first woman to hold the post. The decision follows the damaging Peter Mandelson scandal, which has already led to the departure of Starmer's chief of staff and director of communications.
Whitehall sources said Wormald lost the prime minister's confidence over his handling of the process that led to Mandelson's appointment as US ambassador and for not being proactive enough in driving civil service reform. Wormald is likely to receive a significant payout, with reports that Starmer overruled official objections to a £260,000 settlement via a formal 'ministerial direction'. No 10 did not deny the reports.
The Conservative leader, Kemi Badenoch, accused Starmer of throwing Wormald 'under the bus to save his own skin'. Senior Labour figures and former permanent secretary Simon McDonald cautioned against an expedited appointment of Romeo, urging thorough due diligence. However, Whitehall sources defended the move, noting Romeo was considered appointable just over a year ago.
Romeo, described as a dynamic official outside the traditional civil service mould, has previously faced questions about her spending while consul general in New York in 2017, but a Cabinet Office investigation cleared her of wrongdoing. Supporters say she is the 'leader our civil service needs' to drive reform.
The Cabinet Office said a process to appoint Wormald's successor would take place, with the role temporarily split between three senior officials. Starmer's team is now severely depleted, with the departure of his chief of staff and communications director earlier this week in the aftermath of the Mandelson affair, which exposed the former ambassador's ties to Jeffrey Epstein.
