UK news: Starmer appoints Antonia Romeo as head of civil service

Prime Minister Keir Starmer has appointed Dame Antonia Romeo as the cabinet secretary, making her the first woman to hold the post in its 110-year history. The selection crowns a 25-year public service career and follows an enhanced due diligence process that cleared past allegations against her.

Historic promotion and the task ahead

The cabinet secretary is the most senior civil servant, charged with ensuring that government policy decisions are delivered and ultimately responsible for the performance of civil servants across Great Britain. In that role the cabinet secretary sits beside the prime minister during cabinet meetings and acts as the principal adviser on the machinery of government.

Starmer described Dame Antonia as an "outstanding public servant, with a 25‑year record of delivering for the British people, " and praised her professionalism and determination to get things done. In response Dame Antonia called the appointment a "huge privilege, " stressing her commitment to delivery, efficiency and innovation as central aims for the civil service as it implements the government's priorities.

Observers expect the new cabinet secretary to be tasked with driving reform across Whitehall, sharpening delivery on cost-of-living measures and public services, and rebuilding operational confidence inside departments after a period of political turbulence.

Long civil service track record, earlier complaints and vetting

Dame Antonia joined the Civil Service in 2000 as an economist after a stint in consultancy and is an Oxford graduate. She has led departments in high-profile operational roles, serving as permanent secretary at the Home Office, at the Department for International Trade and at the Ministry of Justice. Her résumé also includes a posting as the UK's consul general in New York between 2016 and 2017, where her brief included promoting trade and business relations.

Her career has not been without controversy. Multiple complaints were raised in the past about her conduct, including allegations related to the use of expenses and claims of bullying while she served in New York. Those allegations underwent investigation and were judged to present no case to answer. Questions were also raised about her use of social media at the time.

Her appointment followed an enhanced due diligence process overseen by the First Civil Service Commissioner, which included review by senior officials in the Cabinet Office. That process was cited by ministers as having been thorough before the decision was finalised.

Political context and the transition at the top

Dame Antonia takes over from Sir Chris Wormald, who left the role last week after 14 months in post. The change at the top of the civil service comes as ministers and officials prepare to press on with a reform agenda that emphasises implementation and operational delivery.

The appointment has drawn praise from many who point to Dame Antonia's record as a reformer and an experienced manager of complex departments. It has also drawn criticism from some former senior officials who argued that vetting should be exhaustive before filling such a sensitive post.

Looking ahead, the new cabinet secretary will need to manage relationships across a fractious political landscape, reassure staff in departments still adapting to recent upheavals, and provide the steady operational leadership required to turn ministerial promises into measurable results. Her stated priorities — delivery, efficiency and innovation — will be judged against concrete progress on public services and the government's wider programme over the coming months.