"Even if he was failing to deliver what he is supposed to deliver, this isn't the way to deal with it. It stinks of political cowardice. It's hugely damaging because what does it say about the political leadership? What does it say to whoever is going to replace him and candidates who would want to come after him? They will wonder if they will find themselves out of favour after six months."
"Other senior civil service figures questioned what Starmer's expectations had been when making the appointment. One said criticism of Wormald felt unfair and that it had been a deliberate choice to go low-energy. Another Whitehall insider said Wormald's attitude was one of make things work for your minister, and pointed out he was the permanent secretary who helped Michael Gove drive through his changes at the Department for Education between 2012 and 2014."
Anonymous criticism of cabinet secretary Chris Wormald is described as hugely damaging to the government and its prospects of recruiting talented officials to top jobs. Keir Starmer appointed Wormald from a shortlist of four in December to lead the civil service. Within months, people inside the prime minister's circle raised concerns about Wormald's performance, with No 10 reportedly experiencing buyer's remorse and aides viewing him as insipid and entrenched in the status quo. He was considered unlikely to survive beyond January. Some senior civil servants questioned the expectation behind the appointment and highlighted Wormald's prior role in driving education changes between 2012 and 2014. Downing Street confirmed that Wormald continued to have the prime minister's support.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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