The new cabinet secretary: Can Sir Chris Wormald rewire the British state?

Watch the event

Listen to the event

Following weeks of interviews and much speculation, Sir Chris Wormald has been confirmed as the new cabinet secretary. After a long civil service career, including stints as permanent secretary at the Department of Health and Social Care and the Department for Education and Skills, Wormald will succeed Simon Case and begin work as the country's most senior civil servant. Keir Starmer has said that it “will require nothing less than the complete rewiring of the British state to deliver bold and ambitious long-term reforms” – so how can Wormald meet that challenge?

What is the best way for the new cabinet secretary to work with Keir Starmer and other senior ministers? How does a strong cabinet secretary add to the effectiveness of a government? How can Wormald change the way the civil service works so that it can best deliver the government's priorities? What steps can he take to restore civil service morale? And how might his experiences leading government departments help him approach the job of cabinet secretary?

This special IfG webinar answered these questions – and yours – with a brilliant panel featuring:

• Dr Catherine Haddon, Programme Director at the Institute for Government
• Sir David Lidington, Cabinet Office minister and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, 2018–19
• Alex Thomas, Programme Director at the Institute for Government

The event was chaired by Emma Norris, Deputy Director of the Institute for Government.