Two senior civil servants ‘leave Home Office amid Priti Patel row’ as Dominic Cummings’ father-in-law says Whitehall needs to be pummelled out of its ‘relaxed life’
- Patel is at the heart of a furious row over treatment of staff in the department
- The 47-year-old’s opponents have accused her of bullying staff
- But Home Secretary’s supporters say she is tough and wants to get results
- Sir Humphry Wakefield accused top civil servants of protect their ‘relaxed life’
Two senior civil servants have been forced out of the Home Office after clashing with Priti Patel, it was revealed today as the row at the heart of the department showed no sign of abating.
A top official working in police oversight transferred to the Department of Transport and a member of the Home Secretary’s private office left their post in recent weeks, the Times reported.
Ms Patel is at the heart of a furious row over her treatment of staff in the department, which she has been in charge of since July.
The 47-year-old’s opponents have accused her of bullying staff, while her supporters say she is tough and wants to get results.
Lord O’Donnell, who was Cabinet Secretary during the New Labour Cameron governments, attacked political attacks on Civil Servants, telling the paper: ‘The ideal relationship between a minister and a senior civil servant is one of creative tension.
Ms Patel is at the heart of a furious row over her treatment of staff in the department, which she has been in charge of since July. Lord O’Donnell (left) said: ‘The ideal relationship between a minister and a senior civil servant is one of creative tension’
She received support from an unlikely corner this morning – the aristocratic father-in-law of Boris Johnson’s chief aide, Dominic Cummings (pictured today)
‘The last thing you want is a permanent secretary who is a yes man or woman – that is not good for the secretary of state or the government.
‘This goes wrong if such tension results in private briefings against the permanent secretary. Trust breaks down and all lose.’
She received support from an unlikely corner this morning – the aristocratic father-in-law of Boris Johnson’s chief aide, Dominic Cummings.
Sir Humphry Wakefield, 83, accused top civil servants of acting to protect their ‘relaxed life’.
In a letter to the Times from his home, Chillingham Castle, Northumberland, the baronet said: ‘I have worked in many longestablished offices around the world. Almost invariably, relaxed disciplines have become the norm.
‘I have found it near impossible to change old habits without appearing to ”bully”.
Sir Humphry Wakefield accused top civil servants of acting to protect their ‘relaxed life’. In a letter to the Times from his home, Chillingham Castle in Northumberland (pictured)
‘Throwing chilling water on attempted inspiration is a special skill of department leaders whose relaxed life is under threat.’
Yesterday Britain’s top civil servant tried to end the toxic briefing war engulfing Ms Patel at the Home Office.
In a highly unusual intervention, Sir Mark Sedwill wrote to civil servants to warn that ‘unattributable briefings and leaks to the media’ were ‘besmirching this country’s hard-won reputation for good governance’.
The Cabinet Secretary’s comments follow days of extraordinary briefings about relations between Miss Patel and Sir Philip Rutnam, who is permanent secretary at the Home Office.
The Cabinet Secretary’s comments follow days of extraordinary briefings about relations between Miss Patel and Sir Philip Rutnam, pictured above, who is permanent secretary at the Home Office
The Home Secretary is said to be ‘livid’ over claims that she bullied staff and was cut out of security briefings by MI5 – allegations that emerged after she allegedly tried to have Sir Philip removed.
The Home Office issued a joint statement from the pair on Sunday saying they were ‘deeply concerned about the number of false allegations appearing in the media’.
But a Whitehall source said relations between them had completely broken down, adding: ‘Can they continue to work together? I just don’t know. No 10 is going to have to sort it out because it is completely dysfunctional.’
Boris Johnson yesterday threw his weight behind Miss Patel, with Downing Street saying the Prime Minister had ‘full confidence’ in the Home Secretary.