The latest Who’s Top, Who’s Not from the Whitehouse Communications team
Top: Antonia Romeo
Antonia Romeo has made history as the first woman to be appointed Cabinet Secretary, the UK’s most senior civil servant. Her promotion comes during a week of intense scrutiny, with past allegations of bullying from earlier in her career briefly resurfacing, yet it is her record, leadership, and triumph at getting the top job that define the story.
Romeo is no newcomer to Whitehall. She has led three major departments - the Home Office, International Trade, and the Ministry of Justice - and is the longest-serving permanent secretary in the system.
She has earned a reputation for steady, effective leadership, delivering results and driving reform where it matters most, including praise from the current Home Secretary, Shabana Mahmood.
Romeo’s appointment underlines that experience and competence remain central to how government functions – and perhaps gives a clue as to what Keir Starmer seeks most as he looks to steady the ship.
Beyond the milestone itself, Romeo’s rise reflects a civil service gradually evolving to better mirror the society it serves. Significant, well-earned, and historical, Romeo takes the top spot.
Middle: Kier Starmer
It has been a week of contrasts for the Prime Minister.
On the international front, Starmer continues to maintain Britain’s profile. His engagement with global partners, particularly around longstanding defence and security arrangements, reflects the continuity of the UK’s diplomatic role abroad.
Even so, foreign policy hasn’t been without complications. The Chagos Islands deal, which transfers sovereignty to Mauritius while keeping the UK‑US military base at Diego Garcia, drew renewed criticism from US president Donald Trump, who warned Starmer was “making a big mistake”. This was despite the President calling the “best” deal Starmer could make in the circumstances, thus setting another trap for Starmer to negotiate his way around.
At home, the week has been more unsettled. Plans to postpone 30 local council elections were reversed after a court challenge from Reform UK, prompting a U-turn – yes, another one - that underlines the pressures the Prime Minister faces ahead of a busy local election cycle.
Influential internationally and tested at home, this week leaves Starmer firmly in the middle.
Not: Nigel Farage
This week has been a bumpy one for Nigel Farage and his leadership of Reform UK, with developments that have shifted the narrative from momentum to instability.
Farage’s unveiling of his party’s new frontbench cabinet - intended to signal readiness for government - was quickly overshadowed by a high-profile shift in policy.
After weeks of ambiguity, Reform committed to reinstating the two-child benefit cap, a move critics argued was at odds with the party’s previous messaging, exposing a lack of clear direction on key economic issues.
The turbulence extended beyond policy. Seven Reform councillors have defected to Rupert Lowe’s new party, Restore Britain, raising questions about the party’s cohesion at a pivotal moment. The U-turn on the cap and internal fractures haven’t gone unnoticed in polling, with support for Farage slipping, highlighting that momentum alone cannot mask inconsistency.
All in all, a week defined by policy shifts and internal tensions for Farage, leaving him firmly at the bottom of this week’s rankings.