Cabinet secretary Simon Case has announced he will stand down at the end of this year on health grounds, but only after ministers revealed that they had told Sir Keir Starmer he should be sacked.
The UK’s top civil servant, who was diagnosed with a neurological condition last year, said that “whilst the spirit remains willing, the body is not”.
But it came just days after a row broke out following the revelation by The Independent that ministers had told Sir Keir to remove him immediately, which led to a clash with the trade union representing top civil servants. One senior minister had accused Mr Case of “poisoning the well” of government.
In a letter announcing his decision to step down, the cabinet secretary insisted it had nothing to do with reports that he had been accused of both failing to prevent leaks about donations from Waheed Alli, and briefing against Sir Keir’s chief of staff, Sue Gray.
This story is from the October 01, 2024 edition of The Independent.
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This story is from the October 01, 2024 edition of The Independent.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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