Britain's top civil servant resigns

Britain's Cabinet Secretary and Head of the Civil Service, Chris Wormald, has become the third senior official to step down in less than a week amid the political fallout over former British ambassador to the United States Peter Mandelson, the Cabinet Office announced Thursday, Report informs via Xinhua.

"It has been an honour and a privilege to serve as a civil servant for the past 35 years, and a particular distinction to lead the Service as Cabinet Secretary," Wormald said in a statement.

The Cabinet Office added that Prime Minister Keir Starmer will appoint a new Cabinet Secretary "shortly."

According to the British government, the Cabinet Secretary is the Prime Minister's most senior policy adviser and acts as Secretary to the Cabinet, responsible to all ministers for the running of Cabinet Government.

Wormald was appointed to the post in December 2024. Previously, he served as Permanent Secretary at the Department of Health and at the Department for Education.

The wave of resignations started when Morgan McSweeney, the first senior official to step down in the fallout, quit on Sunday as Starmer's chief of staff following controversy over the appointment of Mandelson.

Mandelson was appointed ambassador to Washington in early 2025 but was dismissed by Starmer after seven months as renewed questions about his links to late American financier Jeffrey Epstein emerged.

"The decision to appoint Peter Mandelson was wrong. He has damaged our party, our country and trust in politics itself. When asked, I advised the prime minister to make that appointment and I take full responsibility for that advice," McSweeney said in a resignation letter published by local media.