Keir Starmer Authorizes Record £500,000 Payout for Chris Wormald

Prime Minister Keir Starmer authorized a record payout of approximately £500,000 for Chris Wormald after dismissing him from his role as cabinet secretary and head of the civil service. Wormald served 14 months in the position before being replaced by Antonia Romeo.

The settlement exceeds Wormald's contractual entitlements and surpasses the previous record of £457,000 paid to Tom Scholar. To secure the funds, Cat Little, the permanent secretary of the Cabinet Office, sought a ministerial direction from Starmer in February to override value-for-money concerns. Little argued the payment was necessary to avoid distractions from government operations given the high-profile nature of the position.

Following the dismissal, Starmer nominated Wormald to become a crossbench peer. The Cabinet Office declined to comment on the specific HR matter, though officials indicated that exact details of the payout will be included in the department's annual report.