Britain's most senior civil servant stepped down on Sunday after reports of clashes with Prime Minister Boris Johnson's top political adviser, part of what is expected to be a wider shake up of officials at the heart of power.
LONDON - Britain’s most senior civil servant stepped down on Sunday after reports of clashes with Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s top political adviser, part of what is expected to be a wider shake up of officials at the heart of power.
Johnson’s senior political adviser, Dominic Cummings, has long been critical of the civil service, saying government is not nimble enough to deliver change. Some newspapers reported he warned aides last week that a “hard rain is going to fall”. Mark Sedwill, a career diplomat, was appointed cabinet secretary and national security adviser by Johnson’s predecessor Theresa May. In a letter to Johnson released on Sunday, he wrote that, having stayed on for “the acute phase” of the coronavirus crisis, he was now leaving as “the government’s focus is now shifting to domestic and global recovery and renewal”.
Britain’s main opposition Labour Party raised questions over the timing of the move. Helen Hayes, policy chief shadowing the cabinet office, said: “On the day it was revealed millions of jobs across the country could be under threat in the coming months, it is very concerning that Boris Johnson and Dominic Cummings are preoccupied with reshuffling Whitehall.”
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