Prime Minister 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 and part of a wider clear-out following the Peter Mandelson scandal. Wormald is stepping down “by mutual consent,” with Antonia Romeo widely expected to become the first woman to hold the post.
The decision has drawn sharp criticism from senior civil servants and opposition figures. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch accused Starmer of throwing Wormald “under the bus to save his own skin,” while one government insider described the mood as “sulphurous.” The departure leaves Starmer’s top team severely depleted, following the exits of his chief of staff and director of communications earlier this week.
Whitehall sources said Wormald lost Starmer’s confidence over his handling of the process that led to Mandelson’s appointment as US ambassador, and for not being proactive enough on 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.
Romeo, currently permanent secretary at the Ministry of Justice, is seen as a dynamic reformer outside the traditional civil service mould. However, some Labour figures and former permanent secretary Simon McDonald have urged caution, calling for thorough due diligence before her appointment. Romeo faced questions over her spending while consul general in New York in 2017, but a Cabinet Office investigation cleared her of wrongdoing.
The Cabinet Office said a formal appointment process would now take place, with the role temporarily split between three senior officials. Starmer’s allies warned against rushing the decision, with one saying: “When you’re in a hole, stop digging.”
