Downing Street’s top civil servant ‘on brink of being ousted’
It is understood the government’s most senior civil servant is on the verge of being sacked, adding to the growing image of disarray in Sir Keir Starmer’s Downing Street operation.
Cabinet secretary Sir Chris Wormald is understood to be at risk of being sacked in the new year amid growing concerns over his performance in office.
This comes despite the prime minister carrying out a full cabinet reshuffle last month, reorganizing his senior team, days after replacing the top official in his No 10 team, Nin Pandit, who previously served as Sir Keir’s chief private secretary.
A senior Labor source said: Times Sir Chris is now seen as the “embodiment of Whitehall groupthink”, with ministers privately criticizing the civil servant for a lack of dynamism and excessive caution.
Downing Street is already exploring options to replace Sir Chris, sources say Independent, With options including Louise Casey.
Baroness Casey of Blackstock, a peer peer, is frequently called upon to address complex social issues and appointed to lead major reviews; Finally, a cross-party inquiry into adult social care is conducted.
But a government minister said: Independent He said Baroness Casey’s name was not the only one in the running to become the new cabinet secretary, saying Home Office permanent secretary Dame Antonia Romeo, who was considered for the role when Sir Chris was appointed, had “turned heads”.
But a Cabinet Office spokesman stressed that Sir Chris “continues to have the prime minister’s support and we work closely together to deliver on the priorities of the British people.”
Sir Keir’s decision to appoint Sir Chris in December raised eyebrows as a result of his previous role as permanent secretary at the Department of Health and Social Care during the Covid pandemic.
He was criticized by a report from the Covid inquiry which said there was a “lack of adequate leadership” when it came to coronavirus preparations.
To talk Times Last week, Boris Johnson’s controversial former adviser Dominic Cummings said Sir Chris was “part of the old, broken system”.
“The old system shot itself in both feet, with Starmer and Wormald they blew both feet up because they made it the conventional wisdom that now the old system is broken and has to be replaced by something much more radical,” he said.
The latest speculation about Sir Chris’ position follows the departure of a number of senior government officials last year.
Ms Pandit’s departure in August followed the sacking of chief of staff Sue Gray last October and the resignation of Sir Keir’s previous director of communications, Matthew Doyle, in March.
Ms. Gray was ousted as chief of staff last year after losing a power struggle with election strategist Morgan McSweeney; After a difficult start to government, he was troubled by infighting and fights over free money.
Meanwhile, Mr Doyle left his post earlier this year after the prime minister sought to reshuffle his senior adviser team following complaints that he was failing to get his message across on thorny issues such as the deferral of winter fuel payments.
It comes at a time of growing unrest from voters on both left and right over the direction of Sir Keir’s government; The prime minister’s approval rating fell to an all-time low over the summer amid concerns ministers were struggling to get things under control.
