Former top civil servant received pay-off of nearly £860,000

A former top civil servant received a record pay-off of nearly £860,000 after he was forced out of his job by Sir Keir Starmer, just 14 months after the then-prime minister appointed him.

Lord Wormald left his role as cabinet secretary and head of the Civil Service in February by "mutual agreement" following months of media reports suggesting Downing Street was unhappy with his performance.

The Cabinet Office's accounts , external show there was "contractual compensation" of £332,897 and "additional severance" of £526,598.

The BBC understands the size of the pay-off was partly to cover Lord Wormald's pension contributions as his removal from office essentially cut his civil service career short.

He also was compensated for a mandatory "waiting period" following his departure from government. As cabinet secretary he would have had regular access to sensitive information about national security, foreign policy and the UK economy.

His salary for the period 1 April 2025 to 13 February was between £210,000 and £215,000, according to the accounts, bringing his total for the year to more than £1m.

A Cabinet Office spokesperson said: "We do not comment on HR matters.

"The permanent secretary at the Cabinet Office received a ministerial direction from the then-prime minister to proceed with the payment to the former cabinet secretary. Their exchange of letters is a matter of public record."