𝓤𝓷𝓲𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓝𝓮𝔀𝓼

Keir Starmer has appointed Dame Antonia Romeo to the most senior job in the civil service, naming her his new Cabinet Secretary after sacking the previous incumbent just 14 months into the job. 

The Prime Minister began the search for a replacement last week, after launching a clear-out of senior Downing Street staff amid the Peter Mandelson scandal.

The move, he hopes, will address concerns by female Labour MPs that he is running a ‘boy’s club’ government, which has frequently been accused of ignoring women and briefing against female Cabinet ministers.

However Dame Antonia’s appointment as Cabinet Secretary carries risk, after she was accused of bullying during her longstanding civil service career.

While serving as consul-general in New York in 2017, Dame Antonia was subject to a behaviour investigation by the Foreign Office.

Officals involved in raising concerns about her behaviour said that the outcome of the probe resembled a “cover-up”, adding there had been a “chilling” attempt by her allies to silence critics.

A source told The Times: “This was not a single grievance from one employee. It involved multiple concerns made by multiple staff.

“The Foreign Office did a full investigation and found a serious case to answer, which the Cabinet Office then ignored. So how did they reach that conclusion when they did not do their own investigation?

“It had a huge negative impact on morale in the US. It was also deeply damaging to the whole organisation’s efforts to deal with inappropriate behaviour.

“Because it suggested that well-connected senior individuals are beyond reproach and not subject to normal accountability.”

Confirming Dame Antonia’s appointment this morning, Sir Keir Starmer said he is “delighted”.

“She is an outstanding public servant, with a 25‑year record of delivering for the British people.

“Since becoming Prime Minister, I’ve been impressed by her professionalism and determination to get things done. Families across the country are still feeling the squeeze, and this government is focused on easing the cost of living, strengthening public services and restoring pride in our communities. It is essential we have a Cabinet Secretary who can support the government to make this happen.

“Antonia has shown she is the right person to drive the government to reform and I look forward to working with her to deliver this period of national renewal.”

Sir Chris Wormald, whom she replaces as Cabinet Secretary, was sacked just 14 months after accepting the job offer from Sir Keir, despite widespread warnings at the time he was an unsuitable choice for the role.

He received a whopping £250,000 pay-out from the taxpayer, a move senior civil servants refused to sign off on the grounds they could not justify at ‘value for money’.