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Former top civil servant warns ‘more due diligence’ to be done over replacement of Chris Wormald
Politics•February 11, 2026 at 10:29 PMNational

Former top civil servant warns ‘more due diligence’ to be done over replacement of Chris Wormald

By Rowena Mason Whitehall editor•The Guardian - UK News

Simon McDonald says if Antonia Romeo is the frontrunner for cabinet secretary role then ‘due diligence has some way still to go’A former top civil servant has urged No 10 to do “more due diligence” as it prepares to replace the cabinet secretary, Chris Wormald, with Antonia Romeo, the frontrunner for the role.Sir Simon McDonald, the former permanent secretary of the Foreign Office, said he had tried to warn No 10 the process needed to start from scratch and it was vital that the prime minister followed a thorough procedure given the importance of the role. Continue reading...

Simon McDonald says if Antonia Romeo is the frontrunner for cabinet secretary role then ‘due diligence has some way still to go’

A former top civil servant has urged No 10 to do “more due diligence” as it prepares to replace the cabinet secretary, Chris Wormald, with Antonia Romeo, the frontrunner for the role.

Sir Simon McDonald, the former permanent secretary of the Foreign Office, said he had tried to warn No 10 the process needed to start from scratch and it was vital that the prime minister followed a thorough procedure given the importance of the role.

Continue reading...

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