London: British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who recently dismissed his chief of staff, is now facing fresh turmoil with the departure of the head of the civil service. Sir Chris Wormald, who had served as Cabinet Secretary for the past 14 months, has stepped down by mutual consent, Starmer confirmed, amid mounting speculation that he was on the verge of being sacked. Sir Chris becomes the latest senior figure to exit No. 10 Downing Street following the Epstein files controversy involving Peter Mandelson. The scandal has intensified pressure on the Prime Minister, fuelling claims that senior officials are being sacrificed to shield political leadership.
Shake-Up at the Top of Government
Chief of Staff Morgan McSweeney and Commons Director Tim Allen had already been dismissed earlier. In a significant change to the structure of the role, Sir Chris will not be replaced by a single official. Instead, three senior civil servants will jointly fill the Cabinet Secretary position on an interim basis.
Dame Antonia Romeo, currently Permanent Secretary at the Home Office, will work alongside Catherine Little from the Cabinet Office and James Bowler from the Treasury. While praising Sir Chris for agreeing to step aside voluntarily, Starmer faced immediate criticism from Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch, who accused him of creating yet another scapegoat to protect himself. The controversy centres on the appointment of Peter Mandelson as US ambassador despite his alleged links to notorious sexual offender Jeffrey Epstein. The fallout from this episode is widely seen as the trigger for Sir Chris’s resignation.
Labour leadership speculation grows
Meanwhile, unrest within the Labour Party has prompted some senior figures to quietly explore the possibility of bringing former party leader Ed Miliband back to the top. Although Miliband has publicly denied any leadership ambitions, party sources say pressure is mounting for him to return once again.
Miliband led Labour in opposition between 2010 and 2015 and currently serves in Starmer’s Cabinet. He is also regarded as the most popular minister in the present government. A survey conducted on February 5 and 6 placed Miliband at the top of the popularity rankings. The rest of the top ten featured relatively low-profile ministers, including Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn in second place, Defence Secretary John Healey in third, Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy in fourth, and Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander in fifth. Responding to reporters last week, Miliband reiterated that he would not run for prime minister. Under his leadership, Labour suffered its worst election performance in three decades in 2015, a legacy that continues to weigh heavily amid today’s political uncertainty.
