The UK's Cabinet Office has confirmed that Dame Antonia Romeo, the frontrunner to become the next head of the UK civil service, faced allegations of bullying during her time as the UK's consul general in New York.
According to documents seen by the BBC, multiple complaints were made against Dame Antonia, describing her behavior as "unreasonable," "degrading," and "demeaning" towards staff. The BBC has learned that 47% of staff in New York said they had experienced bullying in the workplace in an annual staff survey.
The government says three allegations relating to her use of expenses and bullying of staff when she was in New York were investigated and there was "no case to answer." However, sources have told the BBC that there were, in fact, multiple complaints about Dame Antonia's conduct in New York from several people.
Investigation and Response
A former ambassador to Japan, Sir Tim Hitchens, was flown to New York to look into the allegations, which included claims of "bullying behaviour, financial probity, and putting her private objectives above those of the wider Consulate-General or government." The Foreign Office's investigation concluded there was a case for Dame Antonia to answer about her behavior towards colleagues, but there was no case to answer about what was called "financial probity" and is understood to refer to expenses.
The Cabinet Office has stated that Dame Antonia is an "outstanding leader with 25 years of public service" and that the allegations were dismissed on the basis that there was no case to answer. A Cabinet Office spokesperson said: "It is entirely inappropriate to resurface dismissed HR proceedings almost a decade later."
Current Role and Future Prospects
Dame Antonia is currently one of three figures sharing the role of cabinet secretary on an interim basis, following the departure of Sir Chris Wormald last week. Despite the allegations, Dame Antonia's critics acknowledge her abilities, with one saying she was "smart, dynamic and really talented."
