Simon Case: UK’s top civil servant set to return to role in new year following medical leave

Published

5 months ago

December 22, 2023

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Simon Case is set to return to his role leading the civil service in January following weeks of medical leave, the Cabinet Office has confirmed.

Mr Case, who as cabinet secretary is the UK’s most senior civil servant, took a leave of absence for medical reasons in October.

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It was reported at the time that he was likely to be off for a number of weeks and that he would be returning in 2024.

A spokesperson for the Cabinet Office told Sky News: “The cabinet secretary will return to work in the New Year.”

It is understood that when he returns to the civil service, he will resume the same responsibilities in his capacity as cabinet secretary.

The Cabinet Office would not comment on the medical advice he has received as it is a private matter.

There have been questions surrounding Mr Case’s return to work after the Times reported his initial four-week leave of absence in October had been extended to 2024, generating concerns about a vacuum at the heart of government.

Mr Case, who was appointed in September 2020 having previously served as permanent secretary in Number 10, was initially due to give evidence to the official COVID inquiry this year.

But inquiry chair Baroness Heather Hallett formally excused him from doing so “due to ill health”.

In a ruling last month, Baroness Hallett said she would receive an update on Mr Case’s ability to give evidence at the end of January 2024 or on his return to work from sick leave, whichever is sooner.

The COVID inquiry is looking into the UK’s handling of the pandemic, including government decision-making around controversial areas such as imposing three national lockdowns.

Module 2 has examined “core UK decision-making and political governance” and has seen a number of high-profile politicians, including former prime minister Boris Johnson, give evidence.

Although the inquiry has now finished hearing evidence under module 2, Baroness Hallett said it “very much remains my intention that Mr Case should give oral evidence to the inquiry” and that she will convene a special hearing for module 2 to receive his evidence.

Despite his absence, Mr Case has featured prominently in the evidence heard at the inquiry so far via WhatsApp messages exchanged between senior figures during the pandemic.

Messages understood to be from 14 October 2020 were disclosed to the inquiry, in which Mr Case described Mr Johnson’s wife, Carrie Johnson, as “the real person in charge”.

Mr Case also said the government was looking like a “terrible, tragic joke” and that he “cannot cope with this” in an apparent expression of frustration at how the coronavirus pandemic was being handled.

In another fractious message shown to the inquiry in October, Mr Case described “being at the end of my tether” over Mr Johnson’s indecision during the pandemic and said he “cannot lead”.

When approached for a comment by Sky News, the COVID inquiry said it does not provide a running commentary on the progress of its investigations.

Politics

Kulveer Ranger: Tory peer resigns whip after foul-mouthed drunken outburst at parliament bar

Published

2 hours ago

May 17, 2024

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Kulveer Ranger: Tory peer resigns whip after foul-mouthed drunken outburst at parliament bar

A Tory peer has resigned the government whip after he was found to have bullied and harassed two people while drunk.

Lord Ranger, a former adviser to Boris Johnson, faces being banned from the House of Lords bars following an investigation into his conduct.

He has apologised for his behaviour and given up the whip – meaning he will have to sit as a non-aligned peer.

A statement from the whip’s office said: “Lord Ranger has resigned the government whip and apologised for his actions, which were an unacceptable breach of the standards of the House, and of parliament.

“The committee has recommended a sanction, which should be respected.”

The House of Lords Conduct Committee recommended Lord Ranger be suspended from the House for three weeks following an investigation into an incident in parliament’s Strangers’ Bar in January.

The committee also recommended he be banned from the House of Lords bars for 12 months.

The committee’s report said Lord Ranger had been “visibly drunk” and made “various inappropriate comments” to a group of people.

He then returned to the same group and “acted aggressively, shouting and swearing”, calling them “f*****g useless” and “invading their personal space”.

Lord Ranger served as Mr Johnson’s transport advisor when he was Mayor of London and was ennobled in the former prime minister’s resignation honours list.

He subsequently apologised to the complainants, saying he did not recall the incident but was “deeply mortified at the descriptions of my behaviour” and “saddened to hear that I caused you distress”.

He did not attempt to excuse his behaviour but said it was a “wholly uncharacteristic outburst” at a time when his wife and children’s health issues had “taken a significant toll” on his physical and mental health.

The House of Lords standards commissioner originally recommended Lord Ranger be suspended for just one week but the Conduct Committee increased the sanction after finding his behaviour had been “particularly serious”.

The committee said: “Lord Ranger’s bullying behaviour was prolonged in duration, with two separate incidents separated by up to an hour, alcohol was an important factor, and it led to a finding of harassment as well as bullying.”

The committee also noted the impact on the complainants, one of whom said the incident had made her “more wary about her interactions with people” and left her with trouble sleeping.

As well as suspending Lord Ranger for three weeks, the committee recommended he be banned from the House of Lords bars for 12 months to “underline the House’s disapproval of alcohol-related misconduct” and invited House of Commons authorities to institute a similar ban for its own facilities.

The suggested sanctions still need to be approved by peers, who are expected to vote on the recommendations in early June.

Politics

Kraken considers dropping USDT in Europe ahead of new regulations

Published

3 hours ago

May 17, 2024

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Kraken considers dropping USDT in Europe ahead of new regulations

With new regulations in Europe set to enforce strict limits on transactions and reserve requirements, Kraken is assessing its stablecoins listing.

Politics

Crypto firms rally behind FIT21 bill approaching US House floor vote

Published

3 hours ago

May 17, 2024

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Crypto firms rally behind FIT21 bill approaching US House floor vote

Lawmakers expect to vote on a bill clarifying how regulators handle digital assets by June after a majority in both chambers passed a resolution against an SEC crypto rule.