Simon Case confirms he's quitting as UK's top civil servant

Simon Case, Britain's most senior civil servant, has confirmed he'll quit at the end of the year to leave Sir Keir Starmer searching for a new top Whitehall official.

The Cabinet Secretary is leaving his £200,000-a-year role on health grounds, telling colleagues 'whilst the spirit remains willing, the body is not'.

Confirmation of Mr Case's departure - which had long been expected since he was diagnosed with a neurological condition - will ramp up speculation as to who will replace him as head of the civil service.

Sir Oliver 'Olly' Robbins, who oversaw the Brexit negotiations under former PM Theresa May, has been linked to the role.

Prior to the general election, it was reported that Sue Gray - Sir Keir's powerful chief of staff - had held secret talks with Sir Oliver about returning to a top job in Whitehall.

There have recently claims of tensions at the heart of No10 between Mr Case and Ms Gray, but the Cabinet Secretary 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.'

Mr Case, 45, returned to work in January after two months off sick and said he had been 'undergoing medical treatment for a neurological condition over the last 18 months'.

The outgoing Cabinet Secretary, a former GCHQ boss and top aide to Prince William, said the Prime Minister would appoint his successor following a 'full, open and transparent process'.

He added: 'It has been an honour to serve two sovereigns, four prime ministers and over 120 Cabinet ministers in this role.

'There have been far more ups than downs along the way and by far the greatest highlight has been the privilege of working with so many remarkable public servants, across the length and breadth of our country, in our overseas posts and with counterparts from our close allies and partners around the world.'

Mr Case has been the UK's most senior official since September 2020, when he replaced Sir Mark Sedwill as cabinet secretary and head of the civil service.

His spell in charge of Whitehall was dogged by the Partygate scandal, with Mr Case forced to remove himself from leading an investigation into lockdown-busting gatherings after it was revealed a party was held in his own office.

Ms Gray subsequently took over the Partygate investigation, before she quit as a top civil servant to become Sir Keir's top aide.

Mr Case's absence from work due to illness meant he missed a scheduled appearance in front of the Covid Inquiry, although he belatedly gave evidence to the pandemic probe in May.

Earlier this year, it was reported Mr Case was still working from home at least two days a week - but insiders stressed he is taking calls and fully engaged when not physically present in Whitehall.

Any return for Sir Oliver to a senior civil service job would likely anger Tory Brexiteers due to his past role as the architect of Mrs May's Brexit deal.

The former PM's agreement, negotiated by Sir Oliver with the EU, was rejected three times by the House of Commons before her downfall as Mrs May's PM.

Sir Oliver is currently working at Hakluyt, a Mayfair-based strategic advisory firm, having previously worked for Goldman Sachs after leaving the civil service in 2019.

Antonio Romeo, the current top official at the Ministry of Justice, Sharon White, the former chairman of John Lewis, and Melanie Dawes, the chief executive of Ofcom, have also been touted as potential successors to Mr Case.