Top civil servant could become third key No 10 departure in days

The Guardian - World NewsCenter-LeftEN 3 min read 100% complete by Kiran Stacey Policy editorFebruary 9, 2026 at 08:30 PM

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Chris Wormald, the UK's top civil servant in Downing Street, is reportedly negotiating his exit, potentially becoming the third senior No. 10 staff member to depart in recent days. Appointed just over a year ago, Wormald's position has been under pressure due to perceived reluctance to embrace civil service reform. His potential departure follows the resignations of the prime minister's chief of staff and communications director. These changes are occurring as Keir Starmer seeks to reassert authority and reassess Downing Street operations after a turbulent period. Wormald's exit deal may include a seat in the House of Lords. The Prime Minister has appointed joint acting chiefs of staff.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Simon Case 30% Tamara Finkelstein 30% Antonia Romeo 30% Olly Robbins 30% Scottish Labour 40% Anas Sarwar 40% House of Lords 40% Tim Allan ×250% Morgan McSweeney ×260% Downing Street ×370% Keir Starmer ×480% Chris Wormald ×790%

Keywords

civil servant 90% downing street 80% shake-up 70% keir starmer 70% departure 60% cabinet secretary 50% government 50% reform of the civil service 40%

Sentiment Analysis

Negative

Score: -0.30

Source Transparency

Source

The Guardian - World News

Political Lean

Center-Left (-0.40)

Far LeftCenterFar Right

Classification Confidence

90%

Geographic Perspective

Downing Street

This article was automatically classified using rule-based analysis. The political bias score ranges from -1 (far left) to +1 (far right).

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civil servant downing street shake-up keir starmer departure cabinet secretary government reform of the civil service

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