Cabinet Office creates new EU-focused second perm sec role

EU and international economic affairs second perm sec will be charged with delivering EU relations reset
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By Tevye Markson

25 Nov 2024

The Cabinet Office is hiring for a new second permanent secretary, whose responsibilities will include delivering a reset in relations with the European Union.

The department is offering a salary of £153,000-£200,000 per year for the second perm sec, European Union and international economic affairs.

The second perm sec will be responsible for leading the government’s relationship with the EU and will act as the EU “sherpa”, representing Keir Starmer, the prime minister, and Nick Thomas–Symonds, the minister for EU relations, in meetings and negotiations with the bloc. They will also have sherpa functions for the G7 and G20.

The second perm sec will  be the principal adviser to the prime minister and minister for EU relations on matters relating to relations with the EU and on international economic issues.

They will also oversee and lead policy development on key questions of UK-EU trade, collaboration and engagement, “working hand-in-hand with relevant departments”. And they will prepare and lead negotiations with the EU on key UK interests, including a proposed security cooperation agreement.

The move comes after Starmer returned responsibility for the UK’s relationship with the EU from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office to the Cabinet Office as part of a series of machinery of government changes after Labour came to power in July. 

The advert says the second perm sec will lead around 100 staff, including the EU Relations Secretariat, which has brought together teams from the FCDO and Cabinet Office to coordinate and broker across government departments on matters relating to the EU, and the team working on international economic affairs.

They will also work closely with the national security adviser, EU counterparts and the devolved administrations.

Other key responsibilities in the role will include “convening and collaborating with other government departments and partners across the public sector to bring a strategic approach to engagement with the EU and on international economic policy” and leading the secretariat of the Europe Cabinet Committee.

The role is the second Cabinet Office second perm sec role created during Starmer's administration, with Clara Swinson appointed as second perm sec for the Mission Delivery Unit in September. The FCDO's second perm sec role has, on the other hand, been abolished

'Necessary and overdue'

Jill Rutter, who is a senior reseach fellow at think tank UK in a Changing Europe, said the move is "necessary and overdue" and fills a longstanding gap.

Before Brexit, EU affairs were led by the head of the European and Global Issues Secretariat (EGIS), with holders of the role including Tom Scholar, Ivan Rogers and Jon Cunliffe.

Rutter said this meant there was a "very big figure at the centre of government" who was the EU sherpa, taking the PM's message out to other EU governments and helping "knock heads together across Whitehall" to prepare for EU Council meetings and EU negotiations",  Rutter told CSW.

She said the government has "basically lost that coordination capacity" since the referendum, with Brexit negotiations first going to the Department for Exiting the European Union, then coming back into the Europe Unit, and EU relations then migrating to the Foreign Office.

Rutter said Labour has now "basically recreated" the old European Secretariat in the Cabinet Office but that there has been an "odd sort of gap at official level, because it's not clear whether, effectively, Nick Thomas-Simmonds is supposed to play that EU sherpa role".

"He's also got lots of other things on his plate. So what this now is doing is giving a proper head to that coordinating function at a senior enough grade to try and corral Whitehall in."

Alex Thomas, a programme director at the Institute for Government, also welcomed the move. "With the Cabinet Office taking on a bigger role on EU affairs, I think it's useful to have a senior figure in the centre to lead this work and be a credible adviser to the PM," he told CSW, likening it to "the EGIS model from pre-Brexit, basically".

What sort of person is the Cabinet Office looking for?

The job advert states that candidates will need to demonstrate seven essential criteria:

  1. Extensive experience of providing strong and visible systems leadership, along with a proven ability to develop a motivated, engaged and high-performing team
  2. The personal credibility and resilience to lead and shape the relationship with the EU and other relevant stakeholders, including through developing highly effective and influential personal relationships
  3. Exceptional diplomatic skills, combined with economic experience and knowledge of EU system and networks
  4. Experience of leading highly complex negotiations to a successful conclusion
  5. Excellent judgement, including outstanding political awareness, a track record of operating with credibility at the most senior levels of government (or equivalent) and supporting senior political decision-making;
  6. An ability to lead in a complex landscape, achieving outcomes through strong relationships, persuasion and influencing to deliver across a system
  7. Experience of setting strategic direction, based on evidence, and supported by strong project and programme plans.

Candidates have until 23:55pm on 8 December to apply

Those who are shortlisted will be invited to meet the minister for EU relations before attending a panel interview chaired by the first civil service commissioner, Gisela Stuart. The panel will include the cabinet secretary, Simon Case, who is retiring from the role at the end of this year. The PM will make the appointment.

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