Row erupts over future of Britain’s top civil servant Simon Case as he faces calls to quit

Simon Case was appointed by Boris Johnson in September 2020 (PA Archive)

The future of Britain’s top civil servant is under the spotlight after claims the service is demoralised and badly led. Sir Anthony Seldon, a leading political historian, has called for cabinet secretary Simon Case to resign, saying he no longer has “the authority or experience” to renew the civil service after a period of turmoil.

Mr Case was already under pressure after his personal views towards Partygate investigator Sue Gray were thought to be behind the delay of her appointment as Sir Keir Starmer’s chief of staff, even before the events of Tuesday and the pause of the government inquiry into her appointment.

Describing the civil service as “a team without a captain”, Sir Anthony told The Times: “With great sadness, because Case has been an exceptional public servant, I have concluded that the time has come to release him for a fresh leader charged with guiding, modernising and reforming the civil service, and providing renewed grip as cabinet secretary.”

The former Tory health minister Lord Bethell hit back at Sir Anthony’s comment, saying that criticism of the cabinet secretary is coming from “fed up” sources.

He told Times Radio: “I just don’t recognise a lot of the stories that have been told, they seem very one-sided. It seems like a lot of them come from the same people who were fed up with the civil servants at the heart of the Boris administration. There’s a lot of friction in them.

“Simon Case is not the typical candidate for the job, but he is a very, very emollient player who is good at smoothing over problems. He has some real strengths, and this hatchet job of trying to get him out. I don’t know. It doesn’t sit right with me.”

Lord Bethell added that Mr Case is being treated as a “scapegoat” for failures in the civil service, which he said was “unfair”.

Pressure is mounting on Mr Case after his involvement in the “Cash for Boris” row which led to the resignation of BBC chairman Richard Sharp last week.

He came under fire for failing to take notes or bring anybody to a meeting with Mr Sharp in December 2020 at which Mr Johnson’s finances were discussed.

Mr Sharp told investigator Adam Heppinstall that he told Mr Case about his application to run the BBC and that he presumed the cabinet secretary would note any potential conflict of interests.

He was thought to be considering quitting in March after some of his private WhatsApp messages were made public by the journalist Isabel Oakeshott. In one exchange Mr Case suggested it was “hilarious” that travellers were being “locked up” in quarantine hotels.

And the cabinet secretary, appointed by Boris Johnson in September 2020, has also become embroiled in the row over Ms Gray’s planned switch from high-ranking Whitehall position to the Labour leader’s chief of staff. Mr Case has been accused of pursuing a vendetta against Ms Gray.

Simon Case at a cabinet meeting during the reign of Boris Johnson (PA)

The Times has also been told by senior Whitehall officials that Mr Case is “not the right person” to run the civil service, with others calling for “a fresh start”.

On Tuesday foreign secretary James Cleverly also defended the cabinet secretary, saying he has always found Mr Case “very thoughtful and very professional”.

Mr Cleverly told Sky News: “It is the prime minister’s appointment and the only person who Simon needs to have the confidence of is the prime minister.”

The Cabinet Office, meanwhile, said the government has an “ambitious plan” to reform the civil service and Mr Case is “focused” on the job.

A spokesperson said: “The cabinet secretary is focused on leading the civil service to deliver on this plan and the government’s priorities.”

Downing Street also said Rishi Sunak had full confidence in Mr Case. The spokesperson said: “This is a process that is being carried out by the Cabinet Office, not by one single individual.

“Of course, the cabinet secretary is focused on delivering the prime minister’s priorities. You heard the prime minister speak quite recently about his regard for the cabinet secretary. The cabinet secretary is closely involved in all the prime minister’s priorities, particularly on small boats, and that work continues even this week.”