Mandarins accuse Sedwill of ‘going native’ as top civil servant quits in row with Patel
The ‘cunning’ top civil servant’s bombshell resignation comes as a shell-shocked Whitehall askssks who will be next to fall foul of Johnson’s Governmentment
CIVIL servants have turned on Sir Mark Sedwill, the Government’s most senior official, after the resignation of an embattled mandarin over a series of rows with Priti Patel.
Officials claimed that Sir Mark, the Cabinet Secretary, had “gone native” having failed publicly to back Sir Philip Rutnam last week, after Boris Johnson declined to state that he had confidence in the permanent secretary of the Home Office.
Sir Philip announced his resignation in an extraordinary statement on the BBC, in which he said he had been the subject of a “vicious and orchestrated briefing campaign” by ministers.
The 54-year-old said he “did not believe” Ms Patel’s denial of involvement in the “campaign” and disclosed that he was intending to sue the Government for constructive dismissal. Sir Philip has catalogued up to 50 examples of alleged hostile briefings against him.
Yesterday’s announcement followed more than a week of reports about rows between Sir Philip and Ms Patel, with allies of the Home Secretary claiming he had attempted to block announcements, thwart staff moves and undermine her in Cabinet.
Last week, The Sunday Telegraph revealed that the mandarin was on a “s--list” of permanent secretaries No10 wanted replaced. Allies of Sir Philip said a factor in his decision had been the refusal of Mr Johnson’s official spokesman to endorse him on Monday, despite saying the Prime Minister had “full confidence” in Ms Patel.
A senior official said civil servants were concerned that Sir Mark had “gone native”, having failed to issue his own statement backing Sir Philip.
“Who is going to be next on the hit list?” the official said. “I don’t know if Mark is trying [to support civil servants] and not getting anywhere or whether he hasn’t been trying.”
A friend of Sir Mark said: “He’s criticised for not doing enough for ministers one week and judged to be too political the next. Sounds like he’s actually striking the right balance.”
Sir Mark said he had accepted Sir Philip’s resignation “with great regret” and thanked him for his dedication.
SIR PHILIP RUTNAM’S extraordinary resignation speech, singling out Priti Patel, comes after weeks of acrimony between the Home Office’s most senior civil servant and the Home Secretary.
Claiming a “vicious and orchestrated” campaign had been waged against him by Ms Patel’s office, Sir Philip’s intention to claim against the Government for constructive dismissal suggests his career spanning 33 years had never encountered such problems.
And yet, amid claims that Ms Patel, 47, mistreated officials – which she has repeatedly denied – sources close to Amber Rudd, one of her predecessors, point out that Sir Philip, 54, did have “a remarkable ability to rub home secretaries up the wrong way”.
As one source close to Ms Rudd, who was home secretary for almost two years from July 2016, put it: “If you are able to antagonise someone like Amber on one side and then Priti on the other, that really is quite an achievement.”
Arch Remainer Ms Rudd was famously considered too “Left-wing” for the Government, while Ms Patel’s strong line on law and order, which once saw her advocate bringing back the death penalty, is regarded as staunchly Right-wing.
Describing Sir Philip as “quite cunning” and at times “purposefully opaque”, the source said Ms Rudd still blamed him for failing to provide her with the right data on the Windrush deportation scandal, which saw her resign as home secretary in April 2018.
“She repeatedly asked for the information but it was never forthcoming. Then suddenly a week after she resigned, the data was made available. The whole thing was very odd.”
While sources close to Ms Patel deny Sir Philip’s claims that her conduct towards employees included “shouting and swearing” and “belittling people”, they admit she is “not backwards in coming forwards” when it comes to running arguably the most difficult department in government.
“Priti is someone who doesn’t mince her words and makes it clear what she wants,” said one. “If you haven’t done what she has asked of you, then she tells you in no uncertain terms – but she certainly isn’t a bully.”
It is thought that Ms Patel’s somewhat forthright manner may have been at odds with Sir Philip’s style – described by one Home Office insider as “a bit Sir Humphrey-ish, sneaky and a little snivelling”. The insider added: “He seemed to think Priti was stupid and treated her as such. Suffice to say it didn’t go down well.”
The resignation follows more than a week of reports about rows between Sir Philip and Ms Patel, with allies claiming that he had attempted to block announcements, thwart staff moves and undermine her in Cabinet.
Last week The Sunday Telegraph revealed that the mandarin was on a “s--list” of permanent secretaries No10 wanted replaced over claims that they were significantly at odds with Conservative ministers and advisers, who have been buoyed by Mr Johnson’s landslide election win in December.
As a staunch Brexiteer, Ms Patel has the support of both Boris Johnson and Dominic Cummings, although as one No10 insider pointed out: “She has their support now, but she is going to be responsible for the biggest reform of our immigration policy since the Second World War. If something goes wrong, then she will be very vulnerable. There is a sense that Sir Philip’s resignation has been designed to leave her that little more exposed.”
There is also the review into the Windrush deportation scandal to consider. Sir Philip’s exit means that Sir Mark Sedwill, the Cabinet Secretary, looks set to face more intense scrutiny as permanent secretary to the Home Office under Theresa May from February 2013.
As Sir Philip’s predecessor, the blame for the wrongful detention and threatened deportation of at least 83 British subjects who arrived in the UK before 1973, could lay at his door.
Allies of Sir Philip said a factor in his decision had been the refusal of Mr Johnson’s official spokesman to endorse the Home Office mandarin on Monday, despite saying the Prime Minister had “full confidence” in the Home Secretary.
Asked to offer the same e endorsement to Sir Philip, the spokesman simply said: “The Prime Minister has full confidence in the civil service.”
A day earlier Ms Patel had faced claims that she was distrusted by intelligence chiefs.
In an email to Whitehall staff,
Sir Mark said “candour, confidentiality and courtesy” between ministers, civil servants and special advisers were “crucial to the trust and confidence on which good government depends”.
Theresa Villiers, the former environment secretary, said she was “sick of spiteful briefings against women in high public office”, calling Ms Patel a “highly effective Home Secretary”.
Yesterday, Sir Mark, who is the head of the civil service, thanked Sir Philip for his “long and dedicated career of public service” and said Shona Dunn would become acting permanent secretary.
But to allies of Sir Philip, the remarks were too little, too late. A senior official said civil servants were concerned that Sir Mark had “gone native”, having failed to issue his own public statement backing Sir Philip.
The official said: “Who is going to be next on the hit list? I don’t ’t know if Mark is trying [to support civil servants] and not getting anywhere or whether he hasn’t been trying.”
Sir Philip’s bombshell comes after he and Ms Patel released a joint statement saying they were “deeply concerned” by various “false allegations” made about Ms Patel.
Another Home Office insider questioned the timing of his “dramatic” and “unprecedented” televised address, saying: “He’s certainly a shrewd media operator if he is able to get straight on to the news just as the Sunday papers are going to press.”
Sir Philip has said he intended to issue a claim for constructive dismissal – but any tribunal is likely not only to lay bare the truth of his relationship with Ms Patel – but also her predecessor.
‘If you are able to antagonise someone like Amber on one side and then Priti on the other, then that really is quite an achievement’