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Cabinet secretary Sir Chris Wormald – the UK’s most senior civil servant – is leaving No 10 in the wake of the recent Downing Street crisis.
In a statement, the Cabinet Office said the prime minister and the cabinet secretary have agreed Sir Chris will stand down “by mutual agreement” from today.
He replaced Simon Case in the £200,000-a-year role on 16 December 2024. His departure on Thursday makes him the shortest-serving cabinet secretary in history.
The role will now be shared by three senior civil servants until a replacement is appointed, and it leaves Sir Keir Starmer without a permanent cabinet secretary, chief of staff, or director of communications – roles that have all been vacated in less than a week.
Politics latest: No ‘thank you’ for Starmer in Wormald’s departure note
Sir Chris said: “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. Our country is fortunate to have such dedicated individuals devoted to public service, and I wish them every success for the future.”
Sir Keir Starmer added: “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. I wish him the very best for the future.”
Third No 10 departure in less than a week
The cabinet secretary is the head of the Civil Service, and is often a key adviser to the prime minister on major policy decisions and the internal workings of the government.
At the time of his appointment 14 months ago, Sir Keir said Sir Chris would be tasked with “the complete re-wiring of the British state to deliver bold and ambitious…
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