Romeo tipped as first woman to be Cabinet Secretary

A SENIOR female civil servant described as part of the “next generation” in Whitehall has been tipped as a potential successor to Sir Mark Sedwill.

Antonia Romeo, currently Permanent Secretary at the Department for International Trade, would be the first woman to serve as Cabinet Secretary.

Sir Mark stepped down as Cabinet Secretary and National Security Adviser on Sunday, amid a continued government shake-up of Whitehall.

The country’s most senior civil servant’s departure followed rumours he had been sidelined by Boris Johnson and his chief aide, Dominic Cummings.

Sir Mark’s successor will play a key role in Downing Street’s drive to improve delivery of projects across Whitehall.

According to the terms set out for Sir Mark’s replacement, applicants must be a current or former permanent secretary to qualify.

Ms Romeo, a former consul-general in New York, previously held a role in the Cabinet Office, with responsibility for enterprise and reform. She became the permanent secretary at DIT in 2017.

She and Sarah Healey, permanent secretary at the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, were last night described by one source as “part of the next generation of civil servants” and in the running to succeed Sir Mark.

Sir Chris Wormald, permanent secretary at the department of health and social care, and Sir Stephen Lovegrove, Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Defence, are also seen as “classic candidates” for the role.

Alex Thomas, programme director at the Institute for Government think tank and a former civil servant, said: “It’s a very open field.”

Former permanent secretaries expected to be in the running include Dame Sharon White, Sir John Kingman, and LSE Director, Dame Minouche Shafik. Simon Case, formerly Private Secretary to the Duke of Cambridge and brought in to No10 as permanent secretary during the Covid crisis, has also been touted as a contender. However, it is understood Mr

Case is expected to return to the Palace when he leaves Downing Street, so is seen as an unlikely candidate.

Sir Tom Scholar, permanent secretary at the Treasury, was yesterday described by a source as “excellent and extremely accomplished” but unlikely to be high on No10’s list for Sir Mark’s job. “With a different government, he’d be a very strong candidate,” the source said.

Another source said Downing Street may consider outside applicants, as Mr Cummings has a preference for outsiders. Mr Thomas pointed out this would likely require legislation, however, making such an appointment less likely. He said: “There’s no formal process that says, appointing a Cabinet Secretary, you must do this, but Ian Watmore, the First Civil Service Commissioner, needs to oversee any appointment process. The government could legislate to abolish that function.”

Sir Mark will take up a role working

Downing Street and Mr Cummings may look to outside applicants but that would require legislation

on “economic resilience” and the G7, Downing Street confirmed yesterday. The UK is due to assume the group’s rotating presidency next year.

The Prime Minister’s official spokesman declined to comment on reports that Sir Mark had been forced out of the post, adding that the exchange of letters between him and Boris Johnson “spoke for themselves”.

Meanwhile, Mr Johnson dismissed suggestions that he would prefer a Brexiteer to be appointed to succeed Sir Mark as Cabinet Secretary.

“Who knows what his or her views will be?” he said. “The great thing about the Civil Service is that nobody should know, least of all me.”

Meanwhile, Sir Richard Heaton, the permanent secretary at the Ministry of Justice, yesterday became the latest senior civil servant to confirm he will be leaving. Sir Richard told MPS his five-year term is due to end in August.