Sir Keir Starmer‘s meltdown looks set to claim another victim with the Cabinet Secretary poised to quit.
Sir Chris Wormald is widely expected to join the exodus from Downing Street as the PM struggles to cling on after the Mandelson scandal.
And Home Office mandarin Antonia Romeo is now being tipped as the next head of the civil service – barely a year after her application was snubbed by Sir Keir.
The premier’s chief of staff Morgan McSweeney and communications director Tim Allan have already resigned in the past two days.
There are also continuing questions about national security chief Jonathan Powell, who is said to have encouraged Sir Keir to appoint Lord Mandelson as US ambassador.
Sir Chris has been accused by Gordon Brown of failing to run an adequate probe into the New Labour architect’s correspondence with Jeffrey Epstein.
Chris Wormald is widely expected to join the exodus from Downing Street as the PM struggles to cling on after the Mandelson scandal
Home Office mandarin Antonia Romeo is now being tipped as the next head of the civil service – barely a year after her application was snubbed by Sir Keir
Sir Chris was only appointed in December 2024. Sir Keir lavished praise on him as the right option to ‘drive’ change
There have also been criticisms of the Whitehall vetting process, with the government having committed to publishing a swathe of documents.
Parliament’s Intelligence and Security Committee (ISC) revealed that Sir Chris had been due to attend a meeting with them on Tuesday ‘but was unavailable at the last minute’.
The top official at the Cabinet Office, Catherine Little, instead attended in his place as the ISC discussed the release of files relating to Lord Mandelson.
Lord Beamish, the ISC chairman, revealed the government had yet to release any papers for it to decide which can be made public – despite the PM committing to publishing the documents last Wednesday.
He said: ‘The Committee has requested that those papers relating to the vetting and appointment of Lord Mandelson are prioritised for release to the Committee.’
Sir Chris was only appointed in December 2024. Sir Keir lavished praise on him as the right option to ‘drive’ change.
The PM said at the time: ‘Delivering this scale of change will require exceptional civil service leadership.
‘There could be no-one better placed to drive forward our Plan For Change than Chris, and I look forward to working with him as we fulfil the mandate of this new government, improving the lives of working people and strengthening our country with a decade of national renewal.’
However, there has been persistent rumours of tensions, with briefings apparently from No10 suggesting Sir Chris has been holding up reforms.
Downing Street refused to comment on whether Sir Chris is being replaced by Dame Antonia. He could become one of the shortest serving Cabinet Secretaries.
Sir Keir is said to have been impressed by Dame Antonia’s handling of the small boats crisis at the Home Office.
Westminster insiders have suggested Dame Antonia will not apply for the job again, but would only accept if she is handed the role without another process. The Civil Service Commission would decide on whether one is necessary.