Appointment of Antonia Romeo as head of civil service shows poor judgment' say former colleagues

"Keir Starmer's decision to appoint Antonia Romeo as the country's most senior civil servant has prompted dismay among former colleagues who complained about what they considered bullying behaviour when she was a diplomat in New York. Several people who worked with Romeo at the New York consulate nearly 10 years ago have told the Guardian they are upset by the prime minister's decision to make her cabinet secretary despite knowing about their complaints. The allegations from several colleagues were made as part of one formal complaint against Romeo in 2017."

"That complaint was investigated by a senior diplomat who found that she had a case to answer, but was then dismissed by her line managers at the Cabinet Office, who gave her the all clear. The complaint has resurfaced in recent days after Simon McDonald, the former lead civil servant at the Foreign Office, urged the prime minister to do more due diligence before making his decision. Starmer put aside those objections on Thursday when he confirmed Romeo's appointment, making her the first ever female cabinet secretary."

Keir Starmer appointed Antonia Romeo as cabinet secretary despite a formal 2017 complaint from several colleagues alleging bullying while she served at the New York consulate. A senior diplomat's investigation concluded she had a case to answer, but her line managers at the Cabinet Office dismissed the complaint and cleared her. The issue resurfaced after Simon McDonald urged the prime minister to conduct more due diligence. Starmer proceeded with the appointment, making Romeo the first female cabinet secretary. Complainants warned of poor judgment, reputational risk, and persistent problematic leadership decisions. Government sources noted the allegations were a decade old and dismissed at the time.

Read at www.theguardian.com