Simon Case has announced that he will step down as cabinet secretary and head of the civil service at the end of this year.
The cab sec, who had been expected to depart from the role in January after being diagnosed with an undisclosed medical condition, announced his exit today in an internal memo seen by CSW.
“As many of you know, I have been undergoing medical treatment for a neurological condition over the last 18 months and, whilst the spirit remains willing, the body is not,” he said.
“It is a shame that I feel I have to spell this out, but my decision is solely to do with my health and nothing to do with anything else.”
Case has been the subject of numerous anonymous briefings and media reports in recent months, some speculating that he is at odds with the prime minister’s chief of staff, Sue Gray; and others blaming him for a series of leaks.
“It has been an honour to serve two sovereigns, four prime ministers and over 120 cabinet ministers in this role,” said Case, who was appointed cab sec by Boris Johnson in 2020 after a short stint as No.10 permanent secretary working on the response to the Covid pandemic.
Case used the message announcing his departure to highlight the critical role of the civil service and the need for it to keep up with a changing world.
"The global context, the relentless evolution of technology, increasing public expectations of the services they consume and many more factors require us to keep adapting. At the same time, the core values of our United Kingdom have not changed and so I hope that the civil service will hold onto its fundamental purpose and values in the never-ending task of serving the government of the day and, through them, the people of our country," he said.
"We must remain servants of others. We should resist the temptation to become the arbiters of, or participants in, legitimate democratic debate, leaving party politics to politicians and demonstrating our enduring and profound belief in democracy through the service of the elected government of the day."
He stressed the importance of working "across organisational boundaries and through the lens of life far outside Whitehall and Westminster".
"An institution such as ours can only play its role in driving out the darkness of ignorance if we remain relentlessly curious about better ways to understand our world and design and deliver public services," he said.
"Openness to change makes us better stewards of the things that matter, such as, public services that suit the needs of their consumers, growth that benefits of the whole of our country, the preservation of our United Kingdom, the rule of law and strong defences built on the cornerstone of our nuclear deterrent, capable security and intelligence agencies and our long-standing alliances."
The cab sec also extended his praise to other public servants, writing: "Those who choose public service deserve thanks for the choice they have made, whether that service be in politics, the civil service, the Armed Forces, the emergency services, our National Health Service, local government and beyond," he said.
"I have seen truly motivated people doing remarkable things in the pursuit of their nations’ and communities’ interests through a pandemic, wars, a change of reign, economic emergencies and unprecedented demand for modern public services. I have seen so very many colleagues committed to their purpose, displaying tenacity and ingenuity, whilst sacrificing their own personal interests for others."
Keir Starmer will appoint Case's successor following an open recruitment process run by the first civil service commissioner, the cab sec said. The commissioner will chair a panel of independent members who will advise the prime minister on the appointment.