Simon Case (left) is said to think his association with Boris Johnson hurt his career. Credit: Oli Scarff/PA
Simon The case is 'bitter' that his closeness to Boris Johnson has damaged his reputation, say sources who spoke to him.
A senior UK civil servant is said to believe that his association with the former prime minister had damaged his career through controversies such as the partygate and the appointment of Richard Sharpe as chairman of the BBC.
Mr. Case had a distinguished career in academia and public service when he was appointed Cabinet Secretary in September 2020 at the age of 41, the youngest holder of the post in a century.
However, since then he's had to endure many media storms since then, from the lockdown-breaking scandal on Downing Street to the exposure of him making fun of cabinet ministers in WhatsApp messages sent during the pandemic.
Recently weeks he again came into the spotlight due to his involvement in the events that led to the resignation of Mr Sharp as Chairman of the BBC.
Mr Sharp was forced to resign for that he did not disclose that he had met with Mr Case to set up a meeting for a businessman wishing to provide Mr Johnson with an £800,000 loan guarantee. The cabinet secretary was also criticized for the way he handled the matter.
«Caught in the whirlpool of Boris.»
The source said Mr. Case privately admitted that Mr. Johnson's cavalier attitude to convention hurt him by association, adding that the cabinet secretary was «bitter» about it. /p>
This was confirmed by a second source who said that Mr. Case was «not the only one who felt that diving into the maelstrom of Boris did not turn out well for him.»
However, the source said Mr. Case was partly to blame for the problems that happened to him.
“It’s not that he didn’t know what Boris Johnson is,” the source said. «Supposedly he went for it with his eyes wide open.»
The source claimed that Mr. Case agreed too early for the position of cabinet secretary.
“He didn’t come to work with the experience of managing large departments in Whitehall and so on,” the source said.
“The fact that he was left where he was, then he it's unrealistic to blame the Boris Johnson connection alone for this.
Who is Simon Case?
Sir Anthony Seldon, historian of Downing Street and the civil service, who recently published a book on Johnson's premiership — Johnson at 10 — agreed.
«Simon is a truly talented, incredibly intelligent, dedicated civil servant who, 10 years after taking over the department, would have become a star cabinet secretary,” he told The Telegraph.
He said that appointing someone as cabinet secretary without first leading the department was like to «promoting a truly promising brigadier general to the post of Chief of Defense Staff.»
However, he said it would be «extremely difficult» for any civil servant to work with Mr Johnson.
Commenting on Mr Case's time at Downing Street under Mr Johnson, he said : «Like many people who have come across Boris from experience.
“Having someone with more experience and authority than Simon probably would have helped, but I think Boris Johnson was so lawless, he was so unwilling to listen and take advice, he had so little interest in knowing how to get the job done that I don't think it would make much of a difference.»
The list of negative stories has led to the suggestion that Mr. Case can leave his job after the coronation.
Sir Anthony said: «I think that for his sake [he should leave] sooner rather than later.»
A senior Conservative MP said Mr Case had a choice: leave for a few weeks or stay for a long time because a cabinet secretary would be needed to ensure continuity in a potential change of government in the next election. /p>
An insider from Whitehall said that Case will not leave until he is kicked out.
«Just like prime ministers don't leave office willingly, I don't think Simon will leave unless he really feels like he has no choice, especially because he's so early in my career,» the insider said.
However, a cabinet source said that Mr. Case «continues his work» and «is actively engaged in the implementation of the prime minister's agenda.»
An ally of Mr. Case said, that he also “focused on modernizing the civil service.”
“I never heard him get embittered. I heard he's showing resilience,» the ally said.
The ally dismissed rumors that he would leave, saying he had public service appointments planned throughout 2023 and next.< /p>
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