Overview
- No 10 and Whitehall sources told The Times they expect cabinet secretary Sir Chris Wormald to be removed within months and unlikely to remain beyond January.
- The Cabinet Office stated that Wormald continues to have Keir Starmer’s support and that they are working together on government priorities.
- Baroness Casey of Blackstock is being discussed as a leading contender, while one minister told The Independent that Home Office permanent secretary Antonia Romeo is also drawing interest.
- Ministers and a senior Labour source have criticised Wormald’s approach as overly cautious and lacking dynamism, describing him as the embodiment of Whitehall groupthink.
- Senior advisers say a perceived one‑year convention limits immediate dismissal options, and some in government are watching the Covid inquiry for evidence that could bolster a change.