Dame Antonia Romeo makes history as first female cabinet secretary

Sir Keir Starmer has appointed Dame Antonia Romeo as Britain’s first female cabinet secretary and head of the civil service.

The appointment, which has been rumored for weeks, comes after allegations Dame Antonia was previously spoken to about her management style.

She previously faced allegations of bullying relating to her time as consul general in New York in 2017, but was later cleared by the Cabinet Office following an inquiry.

Dame Antonia, currently the permanent secretary of the Home Office, is the first female cabinet secretary in the more than 100-year history of the role.

She succeeds Sir Chris Wormald, who became the latest member of the prime minister’s top team to quit last week as Sir Keir seeks to overhaul his Downing Street operation following a string of scandals.

Upon announcing the appointment, the prime minister said he had been “impressed by her professionalism and determination to get things done.”

“I am delighted to appoint Dame Antonia Romeo as the new cabinet secretary,” he said.

“She is an outstanding public servant, with a 25‑year record of delivering for the British people. Since becoming prime minister, I’ve been impressed by her professionalism and determination to get things done.”

He added: “Antonia has shown she is the right person to drive the government to reform and I look forward to working with her to deliver this period of national renewal.”

The prime minister defended Dame Antonia as an “outstanding leader” earlier this week amid growing expectations she would be handed the role.

Asked about reports that the senior civil servant had been spoken to about her management style following the inquiry, the prime minister’s official spokesperson insisted that Dame Antonia’s record “speaks for itself.”

A source told the BBC that Dame Antonia faced “tough conversations” about her leadership style in the wake of the investigation, adding that “there were some issues of personal style that grated with people.”

Dame Antonia, currently the longest-serving permanent secretary in government, had been permanent secretary at the Department for International Trade and the Ministry of Justice before taking up the top job at the Home Office last year.

She said it was a “huge privilege” to be appointed as the head of the civil service.

“The civil service is a great and remarkable institution, which I love,” she said.

“We should be known for delivery, efficiency and innovation, working to implement the government’s agenda and meet the challenges the country faces.

“I look forward to working with all colleagues across the civil service to do this, in support of the prime minister and the government.”

It comes after Dame Antonia’s former boss, Lord Simon McDonald, ex-permanent secretary at the Foreign Office, last week suggested he had doubts about a potential decision to appoint her.

He said there should be a “full process” to appoint a new cabinet secretary, which “needs to start from scratch.”

Government sources dismissed Lord McDonald’s claims, saying there was “absolutely no basis for this criticism” and calling him “a senior male official whose time has passed.”

Starmer’s decision to replace Sir Chris was part of an attempt to draw a line under the scandal over the appointments of peers Peter Mandelson and Matthew Doyle to top roles despite their association with sex offenders.

The government has vowed to improve its vetting processes after the prime minister claimed Lord Mandelson lied about the depth of his association with Jeffrey Epstein during his vetting before being appointed Britain’s ambassador to Washington.