Sir Chris Wormald has stepped down as the UK's top civil servant. An interim team will run Cabinet Office duties while the government begins a formal search for a permanent replacement.
Sir Chris Wormald has stepped down as Cabinet Secretary and head of the Civil Service, prompting a swift reshuffle at the top of Whitehall. The Cabinet Office said the departure was by “mutual agreement” with the Prime Minister, but commentators and opposition figures see it as part of a broader effort to rebuild the government’s senior team.
Rather than naming a single successor immediately, the Cabinet Office is dividing the Cabinet Secretary’s responsibilities among three permanent secretaries. Dame Antonia Romeo, currently permanent secretary at the Home Office, will take on departmental coordination duties. Catherine Little, the Cabinet Office’s permanent secretary, will lead cross‑government coordination and core Cabinet Office functions.
James Bowler, the Treasury’s permanent secretary, will cover finance oversight on an interim basis. No 10 added that a full recruitment process — run with the First Civil Service Commissioner — will begin shortly, with the interim arrangement pitched as a way to protect policy advice, coordination and oversight of sensitive inquiries while a permanent appointment is found.
The move drew quick and sharp reactions. Critics accused Downing Street of sending mixed signals — promising continuity but refusing to name a successor — which some say has sapped confidence in the role. The head of the senior civil servants’ union warned the episode damages both the individual involved and the stature of the Cabinet Secretary post.
Within the governing party there were calls for caution. Several Conservative voices argued ongoing internal inquiries overseen by the Cabinet Office should be completed before any permanent appointment is confirmed, warning that altering or pausing those probes could undercut transparency and public trust. Opposition parties and union representatives pressed for an open, documented timetable: an open shortlist, independent oversight and published selection criteria to reassure Whitehall staff and the public that the process will be rigorous and impartial.
Officials close to the situation stressed the need to preserve oversight of sensitive investigations and maintain cross‑government coordination during the transition. They cautioned against a hurried political fix, saying a rushed appointment risks eroding confidence across departments. Former senior officials underlined that the Cabinet Secretary must command enough independence and standing to advise ministers across the political spectrum — a role that, they said, should not be decided “on the fly.”
Dame Antonia Romeo’s new interim responsibilities have inevitably placed her in the spotlight as a potential permanent candidate. Supporters point to her record of running large teams and delivering complex programmes; critics recall past enquiries into expenses and workplace disputes and call for thorough vetting before any confirmation. The Cabinet Office defended its interim team as experienced hands capable of steadying operations, while opinion within government ranged from viewing the reshuffle as part of a reform push to seeing it as a pragmatic response to political pressure.
Beyond the immediate personnel changes, the episode has refocused attention on how senior civil servants are selected and on the wider consequences of frequent leadership turnover. Many worry that repeated top‑level churn could weaken institutional stability and the impartiality of advice that ministers rely on. The coming weeks — and the promised recruitment process — will test whether the government can balance a timely replacement with the transparency and gravitas the role demands.
