Starmer latest: Top civil servant to receive £260,000 payout after latest high-profile Labour exit

Independent‘s political correspondent Athena Stavrou reports:

It is important to “look carefully” at the background of the next senior civil servant, a minister has said.

Sir Keir Starmer has been under pressure in recent weeks over failings in the government’s review process, as highlighted by Lord Peter Mandelson and Lord Matthew Doyle.

As cabinet secretary Sir Chris Wormald leaves office, the prime minister has been asked to conduct a thorough review of his replacement. This comes despite allegations of bullying, with the Home Office’s most senior civil servant, Dame Antonia Romeo, said to be a candidate to replace Chris.

Water minister Emma Hardy told Times Radio on Friday the government needed to “look very carefully” at the background of his successor.

“I definitely think this is something that has become more important in the last few weeks,” he said.

“So I think it’s important to look carefully at his background.”

Reform Britain’s candidate in the upcoming by-elections has called for a “biological reality” check on women and young girls as she gives her views on how Britain should deal with its looming “fertility crisis”.

In the video, Mr Goodwin, who is for Reform UK in the upcoming Gorton and Denton by-election, argued: “We need to explain and educate young children, the next generation, about the seriousness of this crisis.”

Independent‘s political correspondent Millie Cooke Below is this custom:

Independent‘s political correspondent Athena Stavrou reports:

Sir Keir Starmer’s outgoing cabinet secretary will receive a payout of more than £250,000 as he becomes the latest among the prime minister’s senior team to resign.

Sir Chris Wormald stepped down as Britain’s top civil servant after just 14 months on Thursday evening, just days after the resignations of chief of staff Morgan McSweeney and communications chief Tim Allan.

Typically, the civil service offers those who leave voluntarily one month’s salary per year of service, for up to 21 months. Sir Chris, who joined the civil service in 1991, would be eligible to receive the maximum amount, said to be £260,000.

However, payments over £95,000 must be authorized by the Treasury under value for money rules.

No 10 declined to comment on reports that Sir Keir Starmer was forced to sign off on the payment via an official “ministerial direction” because it did not comply with Whitehall’s value for money rules.

A former cabinet secretary has criticized Sir Keir Starmer’s government for holding briefings against civil servants after Sir Chris Wormald left office this week.

Gus O’Donnell described the briefings as one of the “greatest failures” of the current Labor government and called on the prime minister to “bring his special advisers under control”.

He told the BBC’s Today programme: “It’s miserable that we’ve come here and they’ve been briefing anonymously against the cabinet secretary saying it’s not working.”

“You’ve seen this from the very beginning in Sue Gray’s briefings against him. This is the fundamental problem and it’s something the prime minister can fix by taking control of his special advisers.”

Sir Keir Starmer “wants to make sure we have the team we need” following the departure of several key figures from Downing Street in recent days, a minister has said.

Water minister Emma Hardy told Sky News: “I think he (Sir Keir) wants to look at his team and make sure we have the team we need to deliver the priorities this year.”

He added that the Prime Minister was “absolutely committed to reducing the cost of living”.

“I know for a fact that people here talk to me about it, and they talk to me all the time about cost-of-living issues,” he said.

“So I think it’s right for him to have a team that can take this forward.”

Independent‘s political correspondent Athena Stavrou reports:

Sir Keir Starmer is facing claims he threw his cabinet secretary “under the bus” as he tries to reset the Downing Street operation after a turbulent start to 2026.

Sir Chris Wormald stood down as Britain’s top civil servant after just 14 months on Thursday evening, just days after the resignations of chief of staff Morgan McSweeney and communications chief Tim Allan.

But water minister Emma Hardy rejected criticism of the prime minister, who was accused by Kemi Badenoch of throwing his team “under the bus”.

“No, I really don’t think so,” he told Sky News. “But of course Kemi will say things like that.”

Defending the many changes in Sir Keir’s senior squad, he added: “He wants to look after his team and make sure we have the team we need to deliver the priorities this year.”

A major union will back Angela Rayner if Labor fails to win the upcoming Gorton and Denton by-elections.

Transport Salaried Staff Association (TSSA) general secretary Maryam Eslamdoust publicly supported Angela Rayner replacing her; This is the first time a leader of one of Labour’s unions has openly supported an alternative to Sir Keir.

Ms Eslamdoust said: Daily Telegraph: “I think Keir will expire if we come third.”

But Ms Rayner’s spokesman said there was “no competition and no vacancy”.

The spokesman added: “Angela was clear that Labor must come together, avoid distraction and work as a team to serve the public.”

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Manchester United Mayor Andy Burnham has criticized Manchester United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe for his comments on immigration.

“If any criticism is necessary, it should be directed at those who have contributed little to our lives here and have instead spent years draining the wealth of one of our proudest institutions,” Mr Burnham said.