LONDON (Reuters) – British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has a chosen a member of his inner circle to oversee a wide-ranging overhaul as head of the civil service, the Financial Times reported on Monday.
Mark Sedwill said in June he would step down as Cabinet Secretary, part of what is expected to be a wider shake up of officials at the heart of power.
Sedwill will be replaced by Simon Case, 41, who has earned Johnson’s trust during a secondment as Permanent Secretary since May, the Financial Times reported.
A spokesman for the Cabinet Office declined to comment, saying an official announcement on the post would be made on Tuesday.
Sedwill, a career diplomat who was appointed cabinet secretary and national security adviser by Johnson’s predecessor Theresa May, said he would leave government service at the end of September.
Sedwill had reportedly clashed with Johnson’s top political adviser Dominic Cummings, who has long been critical of the civil service, saying it is not nimble enough to deliver change.
(Reporting by Alistair Smout; Editing by Kevin Liffey)
