Kennedy’s appointment had been recommended by a selection panel that included Sir Bob Kerslake, the head of the civil service, and Lord Stern – author of a 2006 report that warned of the costs of climate change – but David Cameron exercised his right to veto Kennedy’s appointment before the proposal had been formally put to energy secretary Ed Davey, CSW understands.
A DECC insider confirmed that Davey had been happy to appoint Kennedy, but emphasised that his selection had been the outcome of the civil service appointment process rather than a result of specific backing from the secretary of state. The insider added that there is a feeling of disappointment in DECC: “It means there’s a longer period of hiatus, so we are not happy from that standpoint. It’s very unfortunate that this has happened because it has delayed us getting a new perm sec.”
CSW believes this is the first time that a prime minister has exercised their right to veto the appointment of a candidate chosen through an open recruitment process – meaning that it hasn’t happened for at least ten years. Cameron’s decision is likely to have been shaped by senior Tories’ fast-waning enthusiasm for the Climate Change Act, which many see as threatening the UK’s economic competitiveness.