Chris Wormald: UK’s most senior government official stands down

2026-02-13 - 15:56

UK’s most senior government official, Chris Wormald, agreed with Prime Minister Keir Starmer to stand down, the third member of his team to go in recent days after the appointment of Peter Mandelson as U.S. ambassador threw the government into crisis. Starmer has vowed to never walk away after facing the biggest challenge to his authority yet, including a call from Labour’s leader in Scotland for him to stand down over the appointment of Mandelson, who was close to the late U.S. sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. “I am very grateful to Sir Chris Wormald for his long and distinguished career of public service, spanning more than 35 years, and for the support that he has given me over the past year,” Starmer said in a statement on Thursday. “I have agreed with him that he will step down as Cabinet Secretary today,” he added. Chris Wormald was appointed to