Mark Sedwill
| Use attributes for filter ! | |
| Gender | Male |
|---|---|
| Age | 59 |
| Date of birth | October 21,1964 |
| Zodiac sign | Libra |
| Born | Ealing |
| London | |
| United Kingdom | |
| Office | Cabinet Secretary |
| Previous office | Acting Cabinet Secretary of the United Kingdom (2018–2018) |
| Job | Diplomat |
| Education | St Edmund Hall |
| University of St Andrews | |
| Bourne Grammar School | |
| Position | Member of the House of Lords of the United Kingdom since 2020 |
| Previous position | Cabinet Secretary of the United Kingdom (2018–2020) |
| Books | Her Majesty's Passport Office Annual Report and Accounts for the Period 1 April - 30 September 2014 |
| Date of Reg. | |
| Date of Upd. | |
| ID | 535947 |
Mark Sedwill Life story
Mark Philip Sedwill, Baron Sedwill, GCMG, FRGS, is a British diplomat and senior civil servant who served as Cabinet Secretary and Head of the Home Civil Service to Prime Ministers Theresa May and Boris Johnson from 2018 to 2020. He also served as the United Kingdom National Security Adviser from 2017 to 2020.
Covid inquiry: Toxic culture damaged response, says Matt Hancock
... More on Covid and the Covid InquiryIn the session, the inquiry was shown extracts from Sir Patrick s diary which described a " massive internal mess" inside the health department and reported that then-civil service head Sir Mark Sedwill complained of the department s " clear lack of grip"...
Boris Johnson urged to to remove Matt Hancock by top official
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'Stiletto row' official to appear at Covid inquiry
... " What, then, in practical terms, does she think that meant for the government s response to the pandemic? How much worse did this make what would be - under any circumstances - a massive challenge for any government at any time? What more will she say about the impact of the, the country s then most senior civil servant, Mark Sedwill, at the height of the pandemic? He and Dominic Cummings had a well-documented dreadful relationship...
Covid inquiry texts show No 10 staff complaining about Carrie Johnson
... Mr Johnson also describes Mark Sedwill, the head of the civil service until September 2020, as " miles off pace"...
Covid Inquiry focuses on government as stakes rise
... Another two weeks is set aside to hear from advisers and civil servants, expected to include Dominic Cummings and former cabinet secretary Sir Mark Sedwill...
Boris Johnson: Officials discussed raising concerns about former PM to Queen
... There were a number of clashes between Dominic Cummings, the former prime minister s controversial chief of staff, and the head of the Civil Service, who subsequently left, Sir Mark Sedwill...
Simon Case: 'Keeper of secrets' under scrutiny
... As questions swirl over Mr Case, is the system of civil service working as it should be? Mr Case first took the job in September 2020, when he replaced Sir Mark Sedwill, who was sacked by former Prime Minister Boris Johnson...
West ferry planning series: Jenrick texted projects, documents show
... Amid calls from opposition MPs for a full inquiry by the chief of the Cabinet, of the UK s top civil servants, Mark Sedwill, said Mr Jenrick, a complete and factual account of his actions had given...
Boris Johnson urged to to remove Matt Hancock by top official
By Paul SeddonPolitics reporter
The UK's top official during The First part of the Covid pandemic has said he urged Boris Johnson to remove Matt Hancock as health secretary.
Lord Sedwill, who was cabinet secretary until the autumn of 2020, agreed he left the then-prime minster " under No Doubt " he should be replaced.
He raised his concerns with Mr Johnson privately in the summer of that year, he told the Covid inquiry.
A loss of confidence in him had been damaging the Covid response, he added.
WhatsApp messages heard at The Inquiry also Laid Bare the tensions at The Top of government between civil servants and ministers.
They are the latest revelations from The Inquiry , which is currently investigating the political response during the pandemic.
Lord Sedwill was the UK's top civil servant until he was in September 2020, amid tensions between him and senior members of Mr Johnson's team.
In one exchange between the two officials in June 2020, Mr Case, who at The Time was permanent secretary at No 10, compared working in the Johnson government to " taming wild animals".
Mr Case added that unnamed advisers to the former Prime Minister were " basically feral".
" I have the bite marks, " Lord Sedwill replied.
In another WhatsApp exchange, Lord Sedwill himself appears to describe Mr Hancock as " totally incompetent" over his remarks on ex-aide Dominic Cummings 's controversial in The Spring of that year.
He added that the " idiocy" of Mr Hancock's response, as well as then-attorney general Suella Braverman , risked undermining Covid laws, adding: " I'm ready to read the riot act as required. "
'Gallows humour'Speaking at The Inquiry , Lord Sedwill admitted he told Mr Case in another exchange that Mr Hancock should be sacked " to save lives and the NHS".
He Said This Was " gallows humour" echoing the government's own pandemic slogan of The Time - But acknowledged This Was " inappropriate, even in a private exchange".
Lord Sedwill told The Inquiry he held a private conversation with Mr Johnson, where he did not use The Word " sack" But discussed whether Mr Hancock " was The Right person to lead The Next phase".
Asked whether Mr Johnson was left in " No Doubt whatsoever" he should replace Mr Hancock, Lord Sedwill replied: " Indeed".
The Inquiry 's lawyer said that in his own witness statement, Mr Johnson had recalled he did not think he had received any advice from Lord Sedwill that Mr Hancock should be removed.
" I can see how he might remember It Way . I did not provide formal advice to the Prime Minister , " he added.
Elsewhere in his evidence, Lord Sedwill apologised for suggesting, in the early phase of the pandemic, that people could hold " chickenpox parties" to boost their immunity to Covid.
He told The Inquiry he had made the remarks in " private exchanges" that he never thought would be made public.
But he added that " the interpretation that has been put on it" made him come across as " both heartless and thoughtless".
" I do understand the distress that must have caused and I apologise for that, " he added.
He added that he had used it as an " analogy" for the government's policy at The Time , to shield vulnerable people from The Virus whilst allowing it to spread among lower-risk groups.
" I should say, at no point did I believe that coronavirus was only of the same seriousness as chickenpox. I knew it was a much more serious disease, that was not The Point I was trying to make. "
The Inquiry is taking witness evidence in London until Christmas, before moving to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland .
Mr Hancock is expected to give evidence later this autumn. Mr Case is.
Related TopicsSource of news: bbc.com
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