The treatment of Sir Chris Wormald represents a “new low for this government and its relationship with the civil service,” FDA boss Dave Penman has said.
Responding to the announcement that Wormald will be departing today as cabinet secretary and head of the civil service, Penman said: "Days of open speculation followed by an inevitable departure. What message does this send to the rest of the civil service on how they can be expected to be treated?
“A government that, only last month, said that it wants its civil servants to take risks and that ministers will have their back if they do, has just undermined that message in spectacular fashion."
Penman, whose trade union represents senior civil servants, said Wormald "had barely started in the cabinet secretary role before the anonymous briefings started to scapegoat him and undermine his authority".
Briefings against Wormald began last July, just seven months after Starmer appointed him as the top civil servant in government, with reports suggesting that Starmer had “buyer’s remorse” over the appointment. By October 2025, the speculation over his future had escalated, with various newspapers reporting Wormald would be gone by the end of the year. This week, the speculation became that he had already been removed from the role and was negotiating his exit terms.
Penman said briefings against Wormald were “vague and unsubstantiated – straight out of Dominic Cummings’ playbook”.
“This modus operandi goes beyond one individual – it is self-defeating and damages the whole civil service,” he said.
“It is worth remembering civil servants cannot publicly defend themselves. Undermining senior officials has a chilling effect throughout the civil service, from the leadership group down.
“For the sake of good government, this charade of anonymous briefings against civil servants – followed by fake concern – must end.”