Starmer seeks new top mandarin in Downing Street shake-up
Who is Antonia Romeo and why is she favourite to be the next cabinet secretary?
- Sir Keir Starmer will begin the process of appointing a new cabinet secretary after Sir Chris Wormald stepped down by mutual agreement after just 14 months in the role.
- Sir Chris's departure follows a shake-up of Downing Street operations and comes after the resignations of Sir Keir's chief of staff and communications director, leading to concerns about governance.
- Dame Antonia Romeo, currently the Home Office permanent secretary, is widely tipped to replace Sir Chris, despite warnings from her former boss, Lord Simon McDonald, about her suitability.
- Lord McDonald's concerns, which included a call for a recruitment process 'from scratch', were dismissed by government sources who labelled him 'a senior male official whose time has passed'.
- Sir Chris Wormald, who received a £260,000 payout, is now the shortest-serving cabinet secretary in history, lasting less than his predecessor, Sir Mark Sedwill.
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