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 the role on health grounds, saying ‘whilst the spirit remains willing, the body is not’.
Confirmation of Mr Case’s departure, which has long been expected, 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 repeatedly linked to the role.
More to follow…