The long-time Treasury official, who has also previously worked in No 10, is set to be appointed to the role of Principal Private Secretary, in a sign No 10 is ramping up economic expertise and taking a closer watch over fiscal policy ahead of a difficult Budget in which tax rises are now seen as inevitable.
Her removal was Starmer’s third big personnel change after just over a year in office. No 10’s personnel clashes are well-documented. Having put his faith in long-serving civil servant Baroness Sue Gray to steer his party from opposition to government, Starmer was badly let down when she used her knowledge of the Whitehall machine to block political aides from key meetings. A power struggle ensued, and Gray was forced out.
“The growth of the politicisation within Downing Street is really off the charts at the moment,” a Whitehall source told The i Paper. “The political staff are involved way more in every aspect of No 10 roles, even down to the hiring and firing of junior members of Civil Service staff.”
But his treatment has angered Civil Service colleagues who say Wormald has no opportunity to hit back.
Downing Street spent the rest of the day trying to put the briefing genie back in its bottle, telling other outlets they were pushing back against that description. One insider described her demotion as “unfair collateral damage” but others said she had alienated colleagues.
“It’s going to look a bit ridiculous if you start shedding all your civil servants in quick succession,” the civil servant added. “But if I were Chris, I wouldn’t feel wholly confident.”
“It really just depends on how much the prime minister wants you involved, because you can be just a glorified secretary involved in their diary or you can be properly in it. You are the most senior civil servant in No 10 and you’re running a team of very high performing, stressed people; so there’s a big pastoral side, and different individuals at different times have invested in that, or just left it, depending on their personality. It’s a pretty thankless task at best of times,” the source added.
square DOWNING STREET Ruthless Starmer shakes up No 10 team ahead of make-or-break Budget
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But there are worries in some circles that Downing Street, trailing in the polls, needs its cheerleaders willing and able to champion its agenda without being bound by the rigours of ministerial office. “You could end up with some colourless plank rewarded and good people like Chris Curtis kept on the outside to be helpful,” one Labour Party source said.
Other rising Labour MPs who could be rewarded include Helena Dollimore, Lola McEvoy and Callum Anderson.
York-Smith, who is crossing from the Treasury to No 10 to take up his new post in the coming weeks, has clearly been chosen for his economic nous.
But in dealing with all the personalities and competing political pressures in No 10, he’ll need to be flexible – backflips might come in handy.
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