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Mark Sedwill: UK's top civil servant takes a hard line on leaks | |
(about 1 hour later) | |
Sir Mark Sedwill suddenly became Britain’s most powerful civil servant last autumn, after it became clear that Sir Jeremy Heywood was terminally ill. He took the job without having to go through a formal interview process. | |
Already the country’s national security adviser, he had been deputising for Heywood and, having worked with Theresa May for several years, the 54-year-old was someone the notoriously reticent prime minister felt she could trust. | Already the country’s national security adviser, he had been deputising for Heywood and, having worked with Theresa May for several years, the 54-year-old was someone the notoriously reticent prime minister felt she could trust. |
Unlike all but one of his predecessors, Sedwill had never worked at the Treasury, although he holds a masters in economics from Oxford. “Mine is an unusual background for cabinet secretary, having spent much of my career overseas in security and international roles,” he said recently. | Unlike all but one of his predecessors, Sedwill had never worked at the Treasury, although he holds a masters in economics from Oxford. “Mine is an unusual background for cabinet secretary, having spent much of my career overseas in security and international roles,” he said recently. |
Whodunnit? Cabinet suspects in the Huawei leak mystery | Whodunnit? Cabinet suspects in the Huawei leak mystery |
Sedwill rose up through the diplomatic service, becoming Britain’s ambassador to Afghanistan in 2009 and Nato’s representative in the conflict-ridden country a year later. There were also spells in the Home Office before he became permanent secretary there at what was May’s department in 2013. | |
Ministerial advisers say his background means he has little patience for leaks, currently running at epidemic rates amid the constant rows about Brexit. “He just doesn’t understand why anybody would leak, whereas Heywood would see it as an occasional occupational hazard,” one said. | |
Some even believe Sedwill has been looking for the opportunity to prosecute a leaker, with regular cabinet papers marked secret so they would be covered under the Official Secrets Act, meaning that any leaks could potentially be a criminal offence. | Some even believe Sedwill has been looking for the opportunity to prosecute a leaker, with regular cabinet papers marked secret so they would be covered under the Official Secrets Act, meaning that any leaks could potentially be a criminal offence. |
The sharply worded letter he sent to the senior ministers who sit on the National Security Council (NSC) on Thursday made clear that immediate cooperation with the forthcoming inquiry was expected. | |
When Sedwill was asked in February what qualities he brought to bear as cabinet secretary, he said “a sense of perspective” that allowed him to focus on “the really big issues”. It is a statement he may wish to reflect on as he tries to unearth whoever was responsible for the leak from the NSC. | When Sedwill was asked in February what qualities he brought to bear as cabinet secretary, he said “a sense of perspective” that allowed him to focus on “the really big issues”. It is a statement he may wish to reflect on as he tries to unearth whoever was responsible for the leak from the NSC. |
Huawei | |
UK security and counter-terrorism | UK security and counter-terrorism |
Foreign policy | |
Conservatives | |
analysis | analysis |
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