Senior Female Civil Servants Reject Newly Created Permanent Secretary Role

Mr Johnson’s shake-up of his Downing Street operation is facing increasing questions about whether it has gone far enough in the wake of Sue Gray’s report on alleged lockdown breaches.

According recent report, Antonia Romeo, one of the UK's most senior female civil servants, has decided not to seek the newly created permanent secretary role in Number 10, The Telegraph understands.

Downing Street is already facing challenges to fill the position, announced by Boris Johnson as he attempted to draw a line under the “partygate” report findings published on Tuesday.

There are concerns that permanent secretaries of government departments with tens of thousands of staff will be reluctant to take up the job, which oversees just a few hundred people.

The Prime Minister has not named a single individual who will be leaving his inner circle, despite Ms Gray, a civil servant, concluding there were “failures of leadership and judgment”.

Ms Romeo, permanent secretary at the Ministry of Justice, was seen entering Downing Street last month and had been in discussions about the new No 10 role.

But given she previously sought the cabinet secretary position - the most senior role in the Civil Service - Whitehall figures believe Ms Romeo may be holding out for that post.

Ms Romeo was believed to have got to the final three for the role when it was vacant last year but was beaten by Simon Case, who became the youngest Cabinet Secretary in history.

Reports at the time claimed Carrie Johnson, Mr Johnson’s wife, raised objections. Ms Romeo is highly regarded by some in No 10 and could yet become the first female cabinet secretary.

Downing Street continues to work on plans to establish an Office of the Prime Minister, after Ms Gray called for reform in her critical findings about claims of lockdown-busting parties.

There is also a new drive for government departments to publish policies on the approach to drinking alcohol expected of employees.

Tory MPs and grandees are publicly and privately questioning whether the reforms of Downing Street go far enough to move on from "partygate".

Lord Hague, the former Tory leader, argued that Mr Johnson had done the “bare minimum” when he outlined plans to the House of Commons on Monday for change.

Mr Johnson has told MPs that Sir Lynton Crosby, the Australian political strategist who helped secure two London mayoral victories and the 2019 election win, will give more advice than before in the coming months.   He has also vowed to make sure the No 10 political operation engages more with Tory backbenchers.