Britain’s political establishment has been rocked yet again by the abrupt departure of Sir Chris Wormald, the country’s top civil servant and cabinet secretary, after just 14 months in the role. The move, announced on February 12, 2026, comes at a time of acute turbulence in Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s government, which has seen a spate of high-profile resignations and mounting questions over its handling of recent scandals.
Sir Chris’s exit was confirmed in a joint statement with the Prime Minister, who had only appointed him in December 2024. According to Reuters, Starmer said, “I am very grateful to Sir Chris for his long and distinguished career of public service, spanning more than 35 years, and for the support that he has given me over the past year. I have agreed with him that he will step down as Cabinet Secretary today.” The Cabinet Office maintained that the decision was reached “by mutual agreement,” but the timing and context have left many observers skeptical.
For Sir Chris, the end of his tenure marks not just a personal crossroads but a historical footnote: he is now the shortest-serving cabinet secretary in the history of the post. His responsibilities, at least for now, are being shared among three senior civil servants—Catherine Little, Dame Antonia Romeo, and James Bowler—until a permanent successor is named. The government has promised that appointment will come “shortly.”
This high-level shake-up did not occur in a vacuum. Sir Chris’s resignation follows the sudden exits of Morgan McSweeney, Starmer’s chief of staff, and Tim Allan, the director of communications. The departures have been widely interpreted as part of an effort by the Prime Minister to “reset” his team after the so-called Mandelson scandal. That controversy erupted after the appointment of Lord Peter Mandelson as US ambassador—a move that drew fierce criticism due to Mandelson’s past associations with the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The episode has fueled calls for greater scrutiny and more robust vetting of senior appointments.
Sir Chris was directly involved in the due diligence checks preceding Mandelson’s appointment, although he had assumed his cabinet secretary role only days before the announcement. As reported by BBC News, he was also overseeing the government’s release of documents demanded by Parliament concerning the ambassadorial appointment. Some, including Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch, argued that Sir Chris should have remained in post until the process was fully completed. Badenoch was blunt in her criticism, declaring that Sir Chris was “the latest person Keir Starmer has thrown under the bus to save his own skin.”
The reaction from across the political spectrum has been swift and, at times, biting. Dave Penman, head of the FDA Union representing senior civil servants, described the treatment of Sir Chris as “a new low for this government and its relationship with the Civil Service,” pointing to “days of open speculation” and anonymous briefings that, in his words, “scapegoated him and undermined his authority.” Even Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey weighed in with a pointed remark on social media: “Very worried about who Keir Starmer will blame when there is literally no one else left in Number 10.”
Sir Chris himself maintained a dignified tone in his farewell statement: “It has been an honour and a privilege to serve as a civil servant for the past 35 years, and a particular distinction to lead the service as cabinet secretary. I want to place on record my sincere thanks to the extraordinary civil servants, public servants, ministers, and advisers I have worked with.”
Behind the scenes, speculation has been swirling for days. According to New Statesman, rumors of Sir Chris’s imminent departure had been building throughout the week, though government sources refused to confirm them until the official announcement. The government’s ability to maintain stability has been called into question, especially as Starmer finds himself without a permanent chief of staff, director of communications, or cabinet secretary. For now, Vidhya Alakeson and Jill Cuthbertson have stepped in as joint acting replacements for McSweeney, but the sense of uncertainty lingers.
Attention is now shifting to the search for Sir Chris’s successor, with Dame Antonia Romeo—currently permanent secretary at the Home Office—emerging as the favored candidate. If appointed, she would become the first female head of the Civil Service, a move that could help counter persistent allegations of a “boys’ club” culture at the heart of government. The issue has gained traction among Labour’s female MPs, with veteran parliamentarian Harriet Harman reportedly urging Starmer to appoint a woman to a top role to address misogyny in public life.
Yet, Dame Antonia’s candidacy is not without controversy. As BBC News reported, Lord McDonald, former head of the Foreign Office, has called for a “full process” to appoint a new cabinet secretary “starting from scratch,” referencing an investigation into Dame Antonia’s spending during her tenure as consul-general in New York in 2017. The Cabinet Office, however, has dismissed these concerns, stating, “Antonia Romeo is a highly respected permanent secretary with a 25-year record of excellent public service. The allegations all come from a single grievance made some time ago by a former employee. All the allegations were dismissed on the basis there was no case to answer.”
The appointment process will be overseen by the First Civil Service Commissioner, Baroness Stuart, herself a former Labour MP and Brexit campaigner. Starmer, for his part, has pledged to tighten vetting for senior roles following the Mandelson controversy and other recent missteps, including the appointment of Lord Doyle as a peer despite his own problematic associations.
The broader political context only adds to the sense of instability. As Reuters pointed out, Starmer’s government has been trailing the right-wing Reform UK in the polls, struggling to deliver on policy priorities while facing criticism for a series of U-turns, particularly on welfare reform. The loss of three senior officials within days has left many Labour MPs and political observers calling for a “clean slate” to restore confidence and direction at Number 10.
For now, the British government finds itself at a crossroads, grappling with both the immediate fallout of Sir Chris Wormald’s departure and the longer-term challenge of rebuilding trust—within its own ranks and with the public. The coming weeks will be telling, as the search for new leadership at the top of the Civil Service unfolds and Starmer’s team attempts to steady the ship amid choppy political waters.