"Chris Wormald, the cabinet secretary, is understood to be negotiating the terms of his departure from No 10, which would make him the third senior member of staff to leave in recent days. Wormald was appointed just over a year ago but has been under pressure for several months, with some of those close to Starmer having come to view him as a disastrous appointment."
"Wormald was appointed at the end of 2024, moving from his previous post as the lead civil servant in the health department after the departure of Simon Case. He was one of four people on the prime minister's shortlist, which also included Olly Robbins, who is now permanent under-secretary at the Foreign Office, Antonia Romeo, the permanent secretary at the Ministry of Justice, and Tamara Finkelstein, the former permanent secretary at the environment department."
"However, since then government insiders have expressed irritation at Wormald's reluctance to embrace major reform of the civil service, with some accusing him of hand-wringing about problems rather than coming up with solutions. Wormald would be the latest senior Downing Street staff member to leave after the departures in the last 48 hours of Morgan McSweeney, the prime minister's chief of staff, and Tim Allan, his communications director."
Chris Wormald, the cabinet secretary, is negotiating the terms of his departure from No 10 and may take a seat in the House of Lords as part of an exit deal. Wormald was appointed at the end of 2024, arriving from the health department and was one of four candidates on the prime minister’s shortlist. Insiders have criticized his reluctance to pursue major civil service reform and accused him of hand-wringing rather than offering solutions. His potential exit follows the recent departures of the prime minister’s chief of staff Morgan McSweeney and communications director Tim Allan, marking a significant senior staff shakeup.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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