PM under fire as his top civil servant quits

The Prime Minister has been accused of undermining the civil service after the resignation of Sir Mark Sedwill.

Sir Mark announced yesterday that he will step down from his dual role as Cabinet Secretary and national security adviser in September.

Rumours had swirled that Sir Mark, 54, the most powerful civil servant in

government, was to be ousted this week as part of Boris Johnson’s shake-up of the Civil Service.

The Prime Minister swiftly announced David Frost, his Europe adviser, as his new national security adviser.

Mr Frost will continue to lead the trade negotiations with the European Union.

The PM, who will give a speech laying out his blueprint for economic recovery in the wake of the pandemic tomorrow, praised the outgoing public servant for his “outstanding” work over the course of his 30-plus year career.

Both Sir Mark and Mr Frost are to be awarded life peerages, Downing Street confirmed, elevating them to the House of Lords.

Sir Mark – who previously served as ambassador to Afghanistan and was the top civil servant in the Home Office – was appointed Cabinet Secretary in 2018 by then prime minister Theresa May when he was already the national security adviser.

But in recent months there have been reports that Dominic Cummings, the PM’S chief aide, wanted Sir Mark removed.

Speculation about his exit was further fuelled when Simon Case – who was appointed permanent secretary in No 10 during the coronavirus crisis – was favoured over Sir Mark to lead the government review into the two metre social distancing restrictions.

SNP Westminster leader

Ian Blackford said: “The independence of the Civil Service – essential for good governance – is being completely undermined by Boris Johnson and his allies. Dominic Cummings has been an outspoken critic of the Civil Service and appears now to have gotten his way.

“Wehavenowseenanumber of senior civil servants leave their roles – while a crucial national security job is filled not with a civil servant but a political appointee.

“That is a blatant politicisation of the Civil Service – and raises yet more questions about Boris Johnson’s reckless approach to governance.”

The senior civil servants’ union, the FDA, accused “No 10 – or those around it” of seeking to “undermine” the head of the Civil Service with a “series of anonymous briefings against him over many months”.

FDA general secretary Dave Penman also described Sir Mark as “one of the outstanding public servants of his generation”.

Labour also criticised the timing, with the announcement coinciding with reports a million more people could become unemployed if more government support is not forthcoming by August.

Helen Hayes, shadow minister for the Cabinet Office, said: “On the day it was revealed millions of jobs across the country could be under threat in the coming months, it is very concerning that Boris Johnson and Dominic Cummings are preoccupied with reshuffling Whitehall.”