Simon Case’s replacement deserves more than £200k – it’s a huge job, says Lord O’Donnell! B
Role of Cabinet secretary is ‘massively underpaid … it’s an incredibly demanding job’, claims peer who is on the lookout for candidate
Simon Case’s replacement will be “massively underpaid”, a former head of the Civil Service has said.
The Cabinet Secretary is to step down at the end of the year on health grounds after he was diagnosed with a neurological condition 18 months ago.
Mr Case has served under Boris Johnson, Liz Truss, Rishi Sunak and Sir Keir Starmer. The most recent transparency data showed his salary was between £200,00 and £204,999.
His replacement will also earn £200,000, but Lord O’Donnell, who was the Cabinet secretary from 2005 to 2011, argued the role should have a higher salary because of its demands and seniority.
The peer, who is involved in the recruitment process for Mr Case’s successor, said the chosen candidate would have a “huge job” at hand.
“It’s massively underpaid in my view, given I’ve been paid a lot more since, to do a lot less,” he told BBC Radio 4’s Westminster hour.
Lord O’Donnell went on to describe the post as an “incredibly demanding job”.
Mr Case’s resignation comes after tensions with Sue Gray, who was Sir Keir’s chief of staff until her resignation on Sunday afternoon.
Both Mr Case and Ms Gray – who was on £170,000 – have been paid more money for their roles than Sir Keir, who is paid £167,000 per year.
The Cabinet secretary is the most senior adviser in the Civil Service to both the Prime Minister and their Cabinet, acting to support the Government in coming to a consensus on policies.
Mr Case also served under Lord Cameron and Theresa May during their premierships as their principal private secretary.
He was briefly appointed in December 2021 to lead the inquiry into allegations of lockdown-breaking gatherings across Downing Street and Whitehall.
A week later, however, it was announced he would recuse himself from the investigation after reports emerged that he held a party in his private office.
The following year, he refused to resign after he was blamed in Ms Gray’s partygate report for overseeing a culture of rule-breaking.
Last month, Mr Case appeared to criticise the Tory economic record in comments leaked to the BBC that suggested the party fuelled uncertainty over the public finances while in office.
It emerged last week he had rejoined the Garrick Club, an exclusive West End club founded in 1831, six months after resigning his membership amid a row over its men-only admittance policy.
