Overview
- Romeo, previously the Home Office permanent secretary, becomes the first woman to lead the Civil Service in the role’s 110-year history.
- She replaces Sir Chris Wormald, who left after roughly 14 months as Starmer moves to reset his Downing Street operation.
- The Cabinet Office said enhanced due diligence was carried out, and the Civil Service Commission approved the appointment.
- Reports revisiting her 2016–17 New York tenure note allegations of bullying and expenses that officials say were investigated with no case to answer.
- Reactions are split, with unions and a group of former cabinet secretaries endorsing her, while Lord Simon McDonald and opposition figures press for fuller transparency on the vetting and Wormald’s exit.