Civil Service Cabinet Secretary has resigned - thoughts?

[JennyWren5]

www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/feb/12/chris-wormald-steps-down-cabinet-secretary-starmer

Thought I’d post about this news as I’m a civil servant and keen to hear what others think about it. Guessing this will be of most interest to other civil servants!

The Cabinet Secretary resigned today and he’s expected to be replaced by Antonia Romeo.

I’m a bit worried she’ll get the role, as I worked under her - but not directly with her - when she was Permanent Secretary in another department before her current Home Office role. I’m wary of the culture she’ll set in the CS if she does become Cab Sec.

What do others think?

Anyone else?

Curious about your culture concerns about the potential new person?

Yes, tell us a bit about her, which are your concerns?

What were your concerns about Romeo?

Politically, I’m surprised that they would appoint someone with even the slightest question about prior behaviour in the circumstances.

What did you think of Chris Wormald?

Resigned is a kind way of putting it. I didn't think Chris was the best person for the role last year, but the way he has been treated is terrible.

I hear mixed things about Antonia but agree with above, surely they won't appoint someone with any whiff of scandal?

I really do not get why the cabinet secretary is being dismissed, about Mandelson. As far as I know, it was not this man's decision to keep or promote Mandelson, but Starmer's. It is Starmer who should be resigning to at least acknowledge his lack of good judgement.

She was completely exonerated, no case to answer.

I would imagine they are more concerned about sexual allegations of any kind.

@MushMonster He isn't going because of any links to Mandelson, he is going due to his suitability, rumours have been going on for months about his job performance.

That was the Cabinet Office conclusion but apparently not the FCDO one. Lord McDonald (ex FCDO perm sec) on the news saying that he has been trying to talk to No 10 with concerns about the due diligence process and they haven’t called him back.

Just seems politically clumsy as Starmer has just had to say twice about appointments that he made that the vetting failed but it’s not his fault. He might be walking into yet another one.

@jasflowers oh, the Guardian has a headline with this associated. I will upload...
I am confused!

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/feb/12/chris-wormald-steps-down-cabinet-secretary-starmer

I read it again and it is linking the cabinet secretary dismisal to Mandelson....
Is tge Guardian confused?

Just reading in The Times about his £260,000 pay off. He was only appointed a year ago. How they waste our money

Sources say... same sources in that article also point to his failure to bring about CS reform.
Always sceptical about these "Sources"

But i do agree, any appointment needs to be and seen to be above board.

@threescoops All but 30k will be taxable, at the highest rates and subject to NI, he'll be lucky to get half the the total amount..

Unfortunately, these jobs aren't secure, no one would take them if there wasn't a high resignation pay off.

It's what "reform " might mean that worries me. I expect that means an attack on pay and conditions.

As a long standing Civil Servant this is not out of step with what others will have received.

I’m wary of Antonia Romeo’s appointment for all the reasons mentioned here: her reported behaviour in previous roles (backed up by evidence including accounts from people directly affected/involved) - and the fact the FCDO didn’t completely clear her of this - and whether she is actually the right person for the Cab Sec job.

I think she is also very intelligent and very competent. She’s also very influential, which I think you have to be in these sorts of high-profile roles

I also want to add that - for want of a better phrase - she likes to promote herself, which I think makes her a less effective candidate for the role.

I worked in her department during one of her previous Perm Sec roles, where there were photos of her everywhere and she was often in the media.

I admired her because I thought she was really glamorous and quite cool 🤣 and she’s still a role model of mine because of her drive and her career progression.

However, I don’t feel the bullying allegations in her previous roles were fully investigated, which worries me. And I also don’t think the Perm Secs or the Cab Sec should be the focus of media coverage, like she has been. Politicians are the public face of our government, not civil servants. Normally, Perm Secs are in the background doing their job and, unless there is a big scandal, the public never find out who they are.

Exactly - he has 35 years Service, not just his last role!

I agree with @JennyWren5 - so many allegations of bullying against Antonia Romeo, and my understanding was that she wasn’t cleared by the Foreign Office re her time in New York, but it was rather swept under the carpet by Cab Office. Also, rumours have been circulating for years about her having an affair with another perm sec. I think she is super bright, glam, but very much a self promoter. But perhaps that’s what we need rather than another grey man? Cab Sec is also said to be Ollie Robbins’ dream job, so he’s going to be quite pissed off if it goes to Antonia.

"As a long standing Civil Servant this is not out of step with what others will have received." my point was hat this payout only seems necessary because of the situation created by the PM dismissing him not long after having appointed him, allegedly for reasons of political expediency?

I think the FCDO bullying allegations are a big red flag. Apparently Antonia R was in the running to be the most recent Cabinet Secretary, but she wasn’t successful. I wonder if the bullying allegations played a part in that?

Having said that, since the bullying allegations, she’s now successfully applied for and worked in 3 Perm Sec roles, so the allegations can’t have held her back too much.

I very much hope, but rather doubt, that his £260k payoff is coming via the administrators of the CSPS, hopefully he’ll experience a little of the devastating delays and hardship tens of thousands of them have suffered since his Department allowed MyCSP and Capita to mess it up.

It does seem odd to hire someone with potentially damaging things that could come out being highlighted publically.

if she does end up at the centre of scandal KS is toast. I understand him wanting to appoint a woman but there must be better options?

Can see the appointment rumours are going into overdrive today. The Times had this article up today - archive.ph/EgpMe.

I’m genuinely surprised (although by now I shouldn’t be) to see KS taking a chance on a controversial candidate yet again.

The man never learns.

I’m amazed that the PM still seems so keen to appoint AR. After all, the Cab Sec should not be the story - they should be unknown outside of Whitehall.

The main reason for the PM wanting to appoint her that I can think of is that the PM thought he’d be like a Tony Blair-like figure when he got to power and he’s upset people don’t see him that way.

Maybe the PM thinks AR can act as a sort of Alastair Campbell-like figure, with her glamour and influence - although she’s obviously a civil servant and not a political adviser. I think he’s so desperate for positive PR that he’s happy to accept that even with all the risks he entails. That fits into the pattern of him appointing Mandelson and Sue Gray (both New Labour figures, but Mandelson much more so) before.

I also think it’s interesting that one of Antonia R’s key mentors was Jeremy Heywood. He also found himself the centre of the Whitehall and national story several times, whether unwittingly or not, but more after he passed away when his wife wrote a book about him.

I think Whitehall wants a return to the glamour and thrust of the Blair years, and wants to think it’s still relevant and exciting. It loves to see itself as the centre of everything, even when it’s for something bad. As they say, better to be talked about than not!