Andy Burnham is set to give his top civil servant new powers to overrule other senior Whitehall officials, it has emerged.
The Prime Minister will reportedly boost the legal authority of Cabinet Secretary Antonia Romeo so she can direct permanent secretaries who run Government departments.
According to The Times, legislation will be included in the King’s Speech next year to centralise power and give Mr Burnham greater ability to drive through his policies.
Previous PMs have complained about limitations on their power to push their agenda forward.
Dame Antonia is head of the civil service and the line manager for permanent secretaries across Whitehall.
But, although she can ask permanent secretaries to take action, they are currently under no legal obligation to comply.
Andy Burnham, pictured during his morning run on Monday, September 7, is set to give his top civil servant new powers to overrule other senior Whitehall officials
The Prime Minister will reportedly boost the legal authority of Cabinet Secretary Antonia Romeo to direct permanent secretaries who run Government departments.
Permanent secretaries are instead ultimately accountable to their respective Cabinet ministers, who are in turn accountable to the PM.
Prior to becoming PM, Mr Burnham criticised Whitehall ‘turf wars’ and the ‘structure and culture’ in which civil servants have to work.
‘It is too adversarial and too much time is wasted with departmental silos battling each other and battling the Treasury rather than getting things done,’ he said in June.
Alex Thomas, of the Institute for Government think-tank, said of the reported plans to boost Dame Antonia’s powers: ‘If the intent is to enhance the authority of the Cabinet Secretary to get stuff done, that can only be driven by the centre.
‘There are collective action problems across Government where the Cabinet Office has proved itself to be too weak in the past.
‘But what it won’t do is in and of itself address gaps in departmental capabilities or political obstacles.’
Dame Antonia was appointed as Whitehall’s top official in February by former PM Keir Starmer.
She was drafted in to replace Chris Wormald, who was forced out of the role as Sir Keir rebuilt his No10 team in a desperate bid to save his premiership.
His departure made him the shortest-serving cabinet secretary in history and left taxpayers to pick up the bill for a hefty payout.
It had initially been suggested that Sir Chris had been handed a £260,000 payout as part of an exit package.
But insiders briefed on the settlement have since said it topped £500,000, which would make it a record payout.
Dame Antonia was formerly permanent secretary at the Home Office.
A Cabinet Office spokesman said: ‘The PM has set out a clear objective – reforming the state with devolution by default to deliver good growth in every postcode.
‘The First Secretary of State (Louise Haigh) and the Cabinet Secretary are working together to realise the state and reform and empower the civil service and local government.’
