It's vital.”. From 2.15pm: Simon Case, Cabinet Secretary and Head of the Home Civil Service; Alex Chisholm, Permanent Secretary, Cabinet Office Another career civil servant, experienced in policy but not delivery. “At the heart [of those conversations] – in a way that perhaps I haven't felt for quite a long time, if ever – is that all the decisions we're taking in work have such a direct impact on the people around us.”. The International Comparators Joint Unit – a team of officials set up between the Cabinet Office and Foreign Office to analyse and assess global responses to Covid – is a “phenomenal example” of how that can work, the cab sec says. The task Case and others are facing has been further complicated by some high-profile staffing changes. Reflecting on some of the more memorable episodes of his career to date, the former principal private secretary to prime ministers David Cameron and Theresa May says: “Safe to say there are moments in reshuffles, where accidentally the wrong person has been put on the line and you realise that you’re about to offer the wrong person the job.”. “So alongside other advice that I've given the PM, I’m very happy to talk him through how Downing Street has worked in the past, and helping him understand what the various roles have been. chatbot, let's talk. Simon Case, who was made permanent secretary at 10 Downing Street earlier this year, is expected to be announced as cabinet secretary on Tuesday. I think each of us could look around us every day and find a bit of process that we'd like to do differently. Ahead of England’s second lockdown – the reason CSW is joining Case virtually, rather than physically, in the Cabinet Office – ministers and civil servants had been able to look at what did and didn’t work the first time around, and were armed with better data about where the virus was spreading, he says. “And also the challenges that Churchill was trying to deal with during the war with his wartime temporaries – they’re the same themes. Former U.S. LONDON — Simon Case has been appointed Cabinet secretary and chief of the U.K.'s civil service. [3] He then returned to the Cabinet Office, where he was Executive Director of the Implementation Group. [13] In this role he was "leading the UK Government's work on exiting and seeking a new partnership with the European Union within the UK Representation to the EU". Even before Case returned to government this summer after a two-year hiatus at the royal household, some politicians would surely have been glad of that fact. © Dods Group PLC document.write(new Date().getFullYear()); After two years at the royal household, Simon Case returned to government this summer to head up its coronavirus response. And Case says he has been impressed by how officials have mobilised data and analysis to give ministers a picture of what is happening in the health service and, as he puts it, “out on the streets”. I mean, these things are really difficult to know. Simon is currently the Permanent Secretary in Number 10. A few days after he was named by Boris Johnson as Britain’s youngest ever cabinet secretary, Simon Case took part in a cross-government exercise, organised by his team, to … And as one of the people appointed to advise them – yeah, that burden is one that is not always especially easy to carry.”, His conversations with counterparts around the world are a comfort, he says; they are all dealing with the same challenges. Witnesses. Please turn on JavaScript The Cabinet Secretary is the most senior civil servant in the United Kingdom, and is based in the Cabinet Office. He was previously Director General Northern Ireland and Ireland. As an experienced permanent secretary she brings with her a … “The answer to that is yes and no. [7], Case joined the Civil Service in 2006. [3][4] While at Cambridge, he rowed and was President of Cambridge University Lightweight Rowing Club. – Here is cell phone video of three bystanders pulling a man and his wheelchair to safety off of the train tracks. At 41 Case is the second youngest cabinet secretary after Maurice Hankey, who David Case's promotion to one of the top jobs in the British government comes after he most recently helped shape the U.K.'s response to the coronavirus as permanent secretary in Downing Street. [11], In March 2017, Case was announced as the Director General for the UK–EU Partnership. They are more oil tankers than speedboats”, He goes back further to the 1918 Haldane report into the machinery of government, saying some of its critique is still relevant today. Case doesn’t address the now ex-special adviser’s more inflammatory criticisms directly, saying he “hasn’t read or studied all of the Cummings critique”. This site requires JavaScript for certain functions and interactions to work. “I see it as my job, just as those who've come before me, to help the PM think through how best to get the right structures in place to support him,” Case says. What are the things Case thinks have not gone well? “We often talk about how time in Covid-land is a very different thing to previous experiences of time,” he says. Those are the lessons we need to hold on to”, “It’s the context that's forced us to do this big, complex policy thinking and then rapid design and delivery of frontline services for the public. The 41-year-old will succeed Sir Mark Sedwill, who announced in June that he would be standing down amid rumours of a rift in 10 Downing Street. [3][4][6] His doctoral supervisor was Professor Peter Hennessy, and his thesis was titled The Joint Intelligence Committee and the German Question, 1947–61. “It's very easy to take for granted the smooth handover of power in our system, but actually, managing the transition from David Cameron to Theresa May and being part of how our democracy works – those are things that make me proud.”. WHO'S WHO & WHO WAS WHO. His first outing in front of a select committee was never going to be easy and, appearing before the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Select Committee on Thursday, Case was hesitant at times. Simon Case, who was appointed permanent secretary of 10 Downing Street this May, has been confirmed as the next cabinet secretary. Special advisers are appointed by ministers and are not subject to public appointment rules. [8] In March 2015, he joined Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) as Director of Strategy. Simon Case CVO (born 27 December 1978) is a British civil servant who has served as Cabinet Secretary and Head of the Home Civil Service since 9 September 2020, succeeding Sir Mark Sedwill. Of course, as the nation’s highest-ranking civil servant, Case can’t name names. The civil service advertised for a replacement cabinet secretary with a proposed salary of £200,000. [3], Case was born on 27 December 1978 in Bristol, England. Remember the context, what we're dealing with: a totally novel virus. Simon Case, drafted in by Boris Johnson to be the top aide at Number 10 earlier this year, is expected to be unveiled as the youngest Cabinet Secretary in living memory tomorrow. There can be little doubt that Case’s autobiography would be fascinating. Beckie Smith and Richard Johnstone. “There were quite a lot of new data streams [as well as] existing streams within departments being pulled together into a single, cross-government dashboard, so that all ministers and all officials have access to the same picture, which I think is probably a great thing.”. Hey there! Regan, North Carolina's top environmental regulator, worked at the EPA during the Clinton and Bush administrations. Succeeding Sir Mark Sedwill as cabinet secretary and head of the civil service is a job that a lot of people – including the successful candidate – said that they did not want. With Cummings gone, many are wondering whether his ideas will also vanish from government. “I'm pretty determined that we hold on to some of this,” Case says, casting around for the words to describe the last few months. Senator and Secretary of State Kerry will act as a Cabinet-level "climate czar" in the Biden administration who will help guide the country's climate diplomacy. "The weight on the shoulders of the prime minister and his ministerial team is unbelievable. It is just six months since Boris Johnson called Case back to No.10 to head up the government’s Covid response, but he says it feels like much longer. [12] He took up the post in May 2017. Simon Case was Prince William, the Duke of Cambridge's Private Secretary, but he's now working for the government as Cabinet Secretary and head of Civil Service. At 41, he is the youngest person in the position since Lord Hankey, for whom the role was created in 1916, during the middle of the Great War. How do we move faster? Coronavirus has forced officials to confront some of these problems, and Case says the “smarter, more agile delivery of public services and policy development” that has emerged during the pandemic could make government more effective in the longer term. His appointment as No.10 permanent secretary in June, then as cabinet secretary in September, came as the government was tackling two national crises – Covid and the fraught negotiations at the end of the Brexit transition period – and with No.10 apparently in the throes of a power struggle. There is huge pressure on everybody. “No such thing. [18][19] Case took up the position on 9 September 2020. Another white man with an Oxbridge degree. They are more oil tankers, usually, than they are speedboats, when it comes to turning circles.”, “Changing large organisations is inherently complicated. The Duke of Cambridge is said to have given Simon Case’s appointment as Cabinet Secretary his blessing (Ben Birchall/PA) Apart from his role with the Duke of Cambridge, Mr Case’s career has included helping deliver the 2012 London Olympics, a tenure as private secretary to former prime minister David Cameron, and working on the Irish border issue created by Brexit. 1 Dec. 2016, Principal Private Secretary to the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Cambridge University Lightweight Rowing Club, Principal Private Secretary to the Prime Minister, Private Secretary to the Duke of Cambridge, "Number 10 needs to sort out its internal chaos fast", "Prince William loses right-hand man to Downing Street", "PM's new Principal Private Secretary: Simon Case", "The Joint Intelligence Committee and the German Question, 1947–61", "PM's private secretary to lead Implementation Unit", "Downing Street names Simon Case as David Cameron's new principal private secretary", "CENTRAL CHANCERY OF THE ORDERS OF KNIGHTHOOD", "Senior appointments at UK Permanent Representation to the EU", "Brexit official tasked with solving Irish border issue quits", "Prince William's new Private Secretary swaps Brexit for Royal Household", https://www.kcl.ac.uk/archive/news/sspp/newsrecords/2018/clare-lombardelli-simon-case-new-visiting-professors, "Boris Johnson picks No 10 official to be head of UK civil service", "Simon Case appointed as Cabinet Secretary and Head of the Civil Service", Cabinet Secretaries of the United Kingdom, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Simon_Case&oldid=994951758, People educated at Bristol Grammar School, Alumni of Queen Mary University of London, Principal Private Secretaries to the Prime Minister, Articles with short description added by PearBOT 5, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles with unsourced statements from November 2020, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 18 December 2020, at 11:31. “That's a very good question. [4] He was educated at Bristol Grammar School and Trinity College, Cambridge, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in History. Asked about his role in the discussions, Case says he talked Johnson through the options – but “on the specifics, of course these are political appointments so the involvement of officials on all of this is relatively little”. “For me, the period of Covid has given us a lot of signposts... it’s been an accelerator or something transformational. CSW has heard from senior officials who have butted heads with the tech enthusiast. Simon Case, who was made permanent secretary at Downing Street … Welcome to the Missouri Secretary of State. "I think people will be surprised about how much of an advocate for talent in the civil service Dominic Cummings has been", But Case says his experience working with Cummings has been “quite different to the media portrayal”. Asked later to reflect on the proudest moments of his career, he recalls the aftermath of David Cameron’s resignation following the 2016 EU referendum. That’s happened before, he says: “It's always the case when dealing with crises that weeks feel like months and days feel like weeks.” But this time was different – the enormity of the coronavirus crisis was unlike anything Case had experienced before. [17], In August 2020 Case was announced in the Financial Times as Lord Sedwill's successor as Head of the Home Civil Service. “And actually, we hear civil servants telling us that our processes aren't agile enough, that we can be too bureaucratic,” he adds. From January 2016 to May 2017, Case served under David Cameron and Theresa May as Principal Private Secretary to the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. [4], (As Cabinet Office Second Permanent Secretary), Head of the Home Civil Service and Cabinet Secretary, "Case, Dr Simon, (born 27 Dec. 1978), Private Secretary to the Duke of Cambridge, since 2018." Simon Case became cabinet secretary at an extraordinary time, and his first few weeks in post have been dominated by the government’s response to the coronavirus crisis. It has been widely reported that the dual departures followed a bitter power struggle over a chaotic and divided No.10. My name is River & I am an A.I. Simon Case will be named as cabinet secretary on Tuesday, the Financial Times reports. So as always, when you're under pressure and you think ‘How do I cope with this?’, the quality of the people around you is a big factor in that.”. Simon Case CVO (born 27 December 1978) is a British civil servant who has served as Cabinet Secretary and Head of the Home Civil Service since 9 September 2020, succeeding Sir Mark Sedwill. Well, the pace at which you have to move in the 21st century is even greater than it was in 1967, 1968.”. The role is currently occupied by Simon Case. Does Case think any of the eccentric spad’s ideas are worth keeping? [3] In 2012, he served as Head of the Olympic Secretariat, a temporary team within the Cabinet Office that was set up to oversee the delivery of the 2012 London Summer Olympics. Simon Case will take up his role as the new cabinet secretary on 9 September, the Cabinet Office confirmed. Covid deaths today pushed 1,000 for the third day in a row as cases rose by a further 48,682. “There is some really impressive stuff that I have seen the civil service come up with in response,” he adds, highlighting the “phenomenally complicated, multidisciplinary services being set up at short notice” to run projects like the furlough scheme, or to develop the shielding programme from scratch. Welcome to the Missouri Secretary of State. 97% of civil servants want work from home option in … 22 May 2020 Government Tax Profession. Before leaving for Kensington Palace, he was the lead civil servant tasked with finding a solution to the Irish border issue after Brexit, and had a key Brexit-focused role at the UK Representation to the EU before that. Simon Case appointed cabinet secretary and head of the civil service. Heywood, whom Case worked with as a PPS, wanted officials to engage more with policy development overseas. He is speaking to CSW just days after Boris Johnson’s chief political aide Dominic Cummings and head of communications Lee Cain announced they would be leaving Downing Street – shortly after it was reported that Cain was to be made Johnson’s chief of staff. And so it's not really surprising it's the same themes coming up. He says government has got better, during the pandemic, at using so-called ‘red teams’ of officials specifically formed to provide extra challenge to policy choices, and improving analysis to understand the impact of the measures it has taken. We've all got families and lives of our own to lead outside work and you can't fail to have been affected… As parents and family members and friends to others, it's a hell of a thing that we're all going through together.”. Another thing he says makes “a very big difference” is that he is surrounded by “some quite phenomenal colleagues”. “It's deeply inspirational, actually. Missouri’s Executive Branch consists of all state elective and appointive employees and is responsible for executing the laws of the state. Simon Case was appointed Cabinet Secretary and Head of the Civil Service in September 2020. KIRKWOOD, Mo. The Prime Minister has appointed Simon Case as the Cabinet Secretary and Head of the Civil Service. [12] In January 2018, he was appointed Director General Northern Ireland and Ireland:[14] in this role, he acted as the lead civil servant for finding a solution to the Irish border issue post-Brexit. [citation needed], In 2007, Case married Elizabeth Kistruck, chief finance officer for Hotels.com at Expedia Inc, they have three daughters. In offices across Whitehall and the corridors of parliament, at kitchen tables and in spare bedrooms across the country, people are breathing a sigh of relief. [16] Also in 2018, Case was appointed a Visiting Professor at King's College London, having previously been a Visiting Senior Research Fellow at the university. He previously served as Downing Street Permanent Secretary to Prime Minister Boris Johnson from May 2020. It is a period that will be studied by historians for decades to come – even without Case’s memoirs to help them. I think the weight on the shoulders of the prime minister and his ministerial team, and political leaders across the devolved administrations and frankly across the world, is unbelievable at the moment. “To be very candid, the complexity of the problem was the thing that first hit me.”, “There wasn't a single bit of government that felt like it hadn't been mobilised in response to Covid”. He has called the permanent civil service an “idea for the history books” and said its HR practices reward mediocrity – and had also been pushing for major changes to recruitment and reward rules. “You know, it's a bloody difficult time for the country, and enormous numbers of people have suffered in terrible ways. “It’s the context that's forced us to do this big, complex policy thinking and then rapid design and delivery of frontline services. Another potential breakthrough is the way civil servants have worked across departments and fields of expertise to develop coronavirus schemes – which could finally be an answer to government’s tendency to work in silos. But when the prime minister asked Simon Case to take on the job, in the end he decided that he could not turn it down. But alongside those successes, there has been huge criticism of the way the government has responded to coronavirus. No, not having that,” he says. “There are moments in reshuffles where the wrong person has been put on the line and you realise you’re about to offer the wrong person the job”. A former private secretary to Prince William has been named the UK's new top civil servant. Was legendary grand master Yoda using red teaming to evaluate all his defences? But the context keeps changing, and it's all about: how does governing adapt to the internal and external context? That is something he’s been thinking about a lot over the last couple of years. Case is deeply aware that while few of the staff he is now responsible for can relate to the pressure of directly advising the PM, all are affected by coronavirus. The Prime Minister has appointed Simon Case as Cabinet Secretary and head of the Civil Service, the Cabinet Office has confirmed. It is another example of where the work of government has been changed by its coronavirus response. [3][10] On 23 June 2017, he was appointed a Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (CVO) in recognition of his service in that role. “The tragic level of deaths tells us that probably in every area, if we'd gone further faster we might have saved more lives”, “For me, it’s just as important that we learn the lessons as we go as it is that in the years ahead. Among the less contentious of Cummings’s gripes was that the civil service is too bureaucratic and has insufficient scientific, management and other specialist skills – something Case notes came up in the 1968 Fulton report on civil service reform. How do you get more expertise in? Simon Case was appointed as … Who is Simon Case: the ‘free-thinking’ Boris Johnson ally set to head the civil service Ex-assistant to Prince William lined up to replace Mark Sedwill as cabinet secretary He adds: “Actually, quite a lot of the feedback that I get from many of the civil servants who work closely with him is [such that] I think people will be surprised about how much of an advocate for talent in the civil service Dom and many other people really have been.”. “Something that in the past government hasn't done enough of is learning lessons from around the world and genuinely being open to looking at what other countries are doing,” he says. One day we will be out of the immediate period of Covid, but those are the lessons that I think that we as government, and especially as the civil service, need to hold on to.”. So it would be tempting to think his return to government might have felt like a return to familiar ground – after two years in that other-worldly realm of the royal family. But Case says the centre had not become distracted from the task at hand. And I can't do anything other than answer it honestly. I've been lucky enough to see various iterations of Downing Street through the years... [and] how I've seen Downing Street work under different guises. Simon Case, who was spent almost two years working as Prince William’s right-hand man, is set to become the next Cabinet Secretary, following … Another lesson he hopes will be taken from this period is one that another cabinet secretary, Sir Jeremy Heywood, wanted to see realised. Aged 41, he is the youngest holder of the role since 1916. 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