Keir Starmer appoints Chris Wormald as new cabinet secretary

Wormald will take over from Simon Case on 16 December as the most senior official in the country

Keir Starmer has appointed Chris Wormald, a career civil servant who heads the health department, to become the new cabinet secretary, prompting criticism from Covid bereaved families over his record during the pandemic.

In what will be seen by some as a surprise choice, Wormald, who has spent eight years as permanent secretary at the Department of Health and Social Care, will take over from Simon Case on 16 December as the most senior official in the country, an official announcement said.