dame antonia romeo faces fresh scrutiny after multiple New York bullying complaints emerge
Newly surfaced documentation and a second personal warning to the Cabinet Office have intensified scrutiny of dame antonia romeo as she is considered for the role of cabinet secretary. The materials describe multiple complaints about her conduct while she served as the UK’s consul general in New York, and some former colleagues say those complaints were presented together in a dossier rather than being a single, isolated grievance.
Documents describe repeated complaints and troubling testimony
The documents outline allegations that span concerns over expense use and a pattern of management behaviour described by contemporaries as "unreasonable", "degrading" and "demeaning". One passage in the material criticises what a member of staff characterised as an emphasis on personal profile over institutional representation: "She's a diplomat, not a D-list celebrity. My 15-year-old, social-media-obsessed, brother is less shameless in his self-promotion. " Another colleague said they felt "emotionally battered" by interactions in the workplace.
The complaint material was apparently bundled together and submitted to London during an internal review. People familiar with the matter say that while some senior officials later characterised the situation as a single complaint, those who raised concerns felt their experiences reflected multiple distinct grievances. The dossier includes contemporaneous testimony from more than one member of the New York mission.
Political stakes rise as a second individual warns against appointment
As debate over the next head of the civil service continues, a second individual has contacted the Cabinet Office to advise against dame antonia romeo's appointment. This contact arrives amid questions about what was known at the time of the original inquiry and whether all relevant concerns were appropriately recorded by human resources in London.
Officials have said that three allegations relating to expenses and bullying were investigated and found to present no case to answer, and that the records were treated as a single complaint. The Cabinet Office has added that dame antonia was later spoken to about her management style and that no similar claims have been raised in other roles she has held. Still, critics and some former colleagues argue the dossier reflects several individuals’ accounts and that the way the issues were logged obscures the full scope of concern.
Career context and implications for the civil service
The allegations date to dame antonia's posting in New York between 2016 and 2017, when her remit included promoting trade and business in the aftermath of the EU referendum. The period coincided with a marked spike in staff reports of workplace bullying at the mission; an annual staff survey from the time recorded that 47% of staff in New York said they had experienced bullying, the highest level recorded across the organisation.
Now serving as a senior civil servant at the Home Office, dame antonia is widely recognised for her effectiveness in delivering on complex departmental priorities. But opponents say the New York material raises questions about whether she should lead the civil service, a role that requires both operational ability and a track record of inclusive leadership.
With fresh contacts to the Cabinet Office and documentation in circulation, the appointment process looks set to be examined more closely. Decision-makers must weigh the significance of past findings, the testimony of former colleagues, and the expectations for the tone and conduct expected at the head of the civil service.
