Sack 'poisonous' Case now, top ministers urge Starmer

Sir Keir Starmer is being urged by several cabinet ministers to sack the top civil servant in Whitehall immediately and stamp his authority on the new Labour government.

- DAVID MADDOX

Knives are out for cabinet secretary Simon Case, who has been accused of undermining the prime minister and being responsible for briefings against his chief of staff Sue Gray. One exasperated cabinet minister said: “He [Case] has got to go now.”

Mr Case has denied any inappropriate behaviour and has been put in charge of investigating how damaging leaks at No 10 occurred, including the news that Ms Gray’s salary eclipses the PM’s.

Senior ministers have spoken of their frustration at the seemingly non-stop briefings against the fledgling Labour government which are threatening to destabilise it. One minister accused Mr Case of “poisoning the well of government” and said his planned departure from government must “be done now with immediate effect to show Keir’s authority and to stop the damage and distraction”.

Another minister told The Independent they have personally raised their concerns with the prime minister and said Mr Case “really should go now”. Others consider Mr Case’s relationship with Ms Gray to be too corrosive and have accused him of briefing against Ms Gray.