Keir Starmer’s decision to appoint Antonia Romeo as the country’s most senior civil servant has sparked outrage among former colleagues who complained about what they perceived as bullying behavior during her time as a diplomat in New York.
Several people who worked with Romeo at the New York consulate nearly 10 years ago told the Guardian they were upset by the prime minister’s decision to make her cabinet secretary despite being aware of their complaints.
The allegations were made as part of a formal complaint against Romeo in 2017 from several co-workers. The complaint was investigated by a senior diplomat who found she had a case to answer, but her line managers in the Cabinet Office gave her the all clear.
The complaint has resurfaced in recent days after Simon Macdonald, a former chief civil servant at the Foreign Office, urged the Prime Minister to do more due diligence before making her decision. Starmer brushed aside those objections when she confirmed Romeo’s appointment on Thursday, making her the first female cabinet secretary.
One former complainant said: “This is very unusual but does not sit well with the current No. 10. It is another example of poor judgment and the elevation of those of questionable integrity despite the concerns raised by ordinary people.”
Another said: “This risks coming back to bite the Prime Minister. Many of the people she bullied and bullied, most of them women, now feel they have failed for a second time. This is not good for the civil service or the government.”
A third complainant said: “Taking shortcuts to make appointments based on special treatment instead of specificity and due diligence has already created confusion. This suggests that problematic leadership decisions will continue.”
Government sources insisted that the allegations against Romeo should not count against her because they were 10 years old and the cabinet office was vacated at the time.
Starmer defended his decision on Friday, calling Romeo “an outstanding public servant with a 25-year record of service to the British people”.
He said: “Antonia has shown that she is the right person to reform the government and I look forward to working with her to deliver this period of national renewal.”
Romeo says being the head of the civil service is a “huge power”.
“The civil service is a great and great institution, which I love,” she said. “We must be known for delivery, efficiency and innovation, working to implement the government’s agenda and meet the challenges facing the country.”
Romeo’s supporters say she is dynamic and willing to break civil service conventions to achieve government goals.
But her critics say she focuses more on promoting herself than the government she works for, and that her impatience with more junior staff sometimes leads to bullying.
According to a complaint filed in 2017, Romeo told several co-workers that their careers would be terminated or hurt after a simple disagreement at work.
One allegation says that Romeo warned that a junior member’s refusal to comply with a certain request would be a “career-limiting action” and “only happen once.”
Another, who disagrees with one of Romeo’s ideas, tells him that Romeo will “be sure. [that person’s] Reputation and career damaged in London.”
Other allegations in the complaint relate to her financial affairs. They included her decision to give Farrow & Ball more than $100,000 (£74,000) worth of paint for free advertising, as well as a $250 (£186) taxi fare to a football match.
The allegations, which were part of a complaint, were investigated by Tim Hitchens, the former ambassador to Japan at the time, who flew in to conduct a week-long review.
Hitchens found her management style to be answered, but not her finances. His finding was dismissed by the Cabinet Office, which said she had no case to answer.
Three complainants at the time contacted the Cabinet Office in recent weeks to raise concerns about her previous behaviour.
Downing Street insisted on Thursday that she had been fully vetted when she was considered for the job. Number 10 said it had contacted Civil Service Commissioner Gisela Stuart to ensure there was no need to run the full process again.
