Simon Case: 'Keeper of secrets' under scrutiny

In a play of heightened governmental turbulence, 1 elder civilian servant has been attempting to support his equilibrium astatine the centre of power.

A erstwhile spy, and backstage caput to Prince William, who came successful for barbed disapproval successful Prince Harry's memoirs, Simon Case is simply a fig who seems to pull contention and fascination successful adjacent measure.

In his existent occupation arsenic furniture secretary, helium has served 3 precise antithetic premier ministers - a powerful, but mostly invisible figure,

Sat astatine the PM's broadside astatine each furniture meeting, but prevented from commenting publically by civilian work impartiality, his occupation is to guarantee authorities argumentation is enactment into action.

But the furniture caput is besides the PM's main advisor - idiosyncratic who has the powerfulness to find retired what is truly going connected wrong the authorities instrumentality and to determine what should beryllium reported backmost to his governmental master.

Good governance requires beardown civilian work enactment providing robust proposal to ministers who behave with propriety.

Never much truthful than nether a premier curate who has promised to pb a authorities of "integrity, professionalism and accountability astatine each level".

Which is wherefore the spotlight has been turned connected Mr Case successful caller months, arsenic Rishi Sunak has faced a bid of controversies and scandals, including:

To his allies, Mr Case is considered to beryllium a highly effectual civilian servant with a steadfast grasp connected his duties.

Former concern secretary, Jacob Rees-Mogg said helium recovered the furniture caput to beryllium "a bully and businesslike civilian servant, who helped a democratically elected authorities present its promises successful the due way".

Another caller furniture curate said: "He's a large man. A fixer by nature. Makes things hap and finds mode done tricky problems".

His critics instrumentality a antithetic view.

One erstwhile elder civilian servant thinks Mr Case could person been much robust successful challenging the premier ministers he's worked for.

"There are excessively galore examples of things having happened that shouldn't person happened," they said.

As questions swirl implicit Mr Case, is the strategy of civilian work moving arsenic it should be?

Mr Case archetypal took the occupation successful September 2020, erstwhile helium replaced Sir Mark Sedwill, who was sacked by erstwhile Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

A Cambridge postgraduate with a PhD successful governmental history, Mr Case ascended done the ranks of the civilian work aft joining successful 2006. He held roles successful the UK's quality agency, GCHQ, and successful the Royal Household connected the mode to the occupation top.

At 41, helium became the youngest furniture caput successful caller times.

Before helium took the post, Mr Case's erstwhile PhD tutor, historiographer Peter Hennessy, told the BBC: "From adjacent week, helium volition beryllium the eventual keeper of secrets successful the UK."

The assignment was a "surprise" and determination were question marks implicit however overmuch authorization he'd have, fixed his comparative inexperience, says Jill Rutter, a erstwhile elder civilian servant.

But Ms Rutter, a elder probe chap of UK successful a Changing Europe deliberation tank, said Mr Case was enactment successful a hard presumption by the Johnson government, which "tested the boundaries of proprietary".

She mentioned the alleged Partygate matter arsenic 1 example. When an interior probe into lockdown parties astatine Downing Street was launched, Mr Case removed himself from the process aft it emerged an lawsuit was hosted successful his office.

Suddenly, the bespectacled furniture caput with a debased illustration was revealed by the glare of publicity.

Mr Johnson yet near bureau past year, but Mr Case stayed successful station done the short-lived premiership of Liz Truss and into the existent 1 of Mr Sunak.

Since then, his sanction has seldom been retired of the media.

Questions person been raised astir what Mr Case knew astir an HMRC probe into Nadhim Zahawi's taxation affairs.

An enquiry by the premier minister's morals advisor said Mr Zahawi "failed to disclose applicable information" astir his taxation affairs astatine the clip of his assignment to the furniture past October. That meant the Cabinet Office - which Mr Case oversees - was not successful a presumption to pass Mr Sunak.

Still, Mr Zahawi did amend his interior declaration of ministerial interests past July to admit his taxation affairs were nether investigation.

Then, successful a abstracted development, it was reported that BBC Chairman Richard Sharp contacted Mr Case successful precocious 2020 to sermon an connection of fiscal assistance for Mr Johnson.

In a memo leaked to the Sunday Times, dated 22 December, 2020, Mr Case allegedly warned Mr Johnson to "no longer" inquire for his advice.

Mr Johnson's spokesperson said helium did not person fiscal proposal from Mr Sharp. Mr Sharp has denied engagement successful arranging a indebtedness oregon giving fiscal advice.

Speaking anonymously, 1 erstwhile civilian servant recognised the situation of moving for Mr Johnson, "a premier curate with a debased respect for the due mode of doing things".

Another erstwhile civilian servant said helium had "a spot of sympathy" for the furniture caput connected different issues, particularly the enquiry into bullying allegations against Mr Raab.

Mr Raab is facing aggregate complaints astir his behaviour successful erstwhile ministerial roles but has denied allegations of bullying.

The complaints are being investigated a elder lawyer, Adam Tolley KC.

The latest twist successful the saga came aft the Times paper reported Mr Case was personally informed of a complaint, months earlier Mr Sunak appointed Mr Raab arsenic his lawman past year.

Speaking to reporters, Mr Sunak's spokesperson said Mr Sunak was lasting by Mr Case contempt not denying helium whitethorn person failed to walk connected a written ailment astir Mr Raab.

A erstwhile civilian work workfellow described the evident "briefing war" against the furniture caput arsenic a "bad sign" for Mr Case.

The erstwhile civilian servant said, successful astir cases, premier ministers are "never formally told" astir these kinds of issues by furniture secretaries.

"A spot of this is Sunak and his squad trying to fell down the civilian service," the erstwhile civilian servant said.

The BBC has been told, having spoken to Conservative MPs, that determination is simply a presumption that Downing Street is shifting the blame.

A erstwhile Conservative furniture curate said - successful narration to the Raab bullying inquiry: "To blasted Simon Case for everything radical were gossiping astir indispensable person meant the premier curate had his caput successful the sand".

They said it was "improper to blasted a civilian servant who can't talk for himself".

Whitehall is simply a secretive spot and the wiring is mostly hidden from view. But with authorities standards successful the spotlight, the civilian work - and the antheral who heads it - is nether scrutiny too.

A spokesperson for the Cabinet Office said: "The furniture caput is focused connected ensuring that the civilian work and the full of authorities is moving unneurotic to present for the British people."