Woman tipped for top No10 job in bullying row: Claims made over diplomat who loved to mix with stars

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A Whitehall high-flyer tipped to become the first-ever female head of the Civil Service was investigated for bullying staff and misusing expenses, The Mail on Sunday can reveal.

Antonia Romeo is a leading contender to replace ousted Cabinet Secretary Sir Mark Sedwill as Britain’s most powerful mandarin, in charge of 430,000 civil servants.

But in 2017, when she was Britain’s consul general in New York, she was investigated over a flood of allegations that she had ‘terrorised’ staff who criticised her extravagant lifestyle and reportedly lavish spending.

Mrs Romeo was subsequently cleared by the Cabinet Office and promoted a few weeks later. However, critics have branded the inquiry a whitewash.

Last night the Cabinet Office said: ‘These allegations were made some time ago, were thoroughly investigated and were dismissed on the basis there was no case to answer.’

However, this newspaper has established that a senior director at the Foreign Office voiced ‘frustration and concern’ at the

outcome of the probe. Insiders say the row about the Cabinet Office’s decision is ‘an open secret’ at top levels across Whitehall.

According to informed sources, junior staff members in the UK’s New York consulate claimed to have felt pressured to submit expenses on behalf of Mrs Romeo that they did not believe were fully justified.

Allegations of questionable spending of taxpayers’ money included more than £120,000 in fees for her three children at an upmarket New York school which had not been approved by the Foreign Office, expensive taxis and more than a dozen flights, some business class.

Officials in New York were said to be particularly aggrieved by a last-minute flight booked to London in February 2017 so that Mrs Romeo could attend that year’s Bafta awards where she rubbed shoulders with entertainment industry stars.

During her time in New York, where she promoted British interests and UK trade, Mrs Romeo hosted a series of glitzy parties for celebrity figures including Calvin Klein, Anna Wintour, Joanna Lumley and the now-disgraced mogul Harvey Weinstein.

The cost of sending expensive bouquets of flowers to British celebrities, including Victoria Beckham, formed part of a dossier of allegations against Mrs Romeo compiled in early 2017.

Her allies insist that the spending was all part of her job to promote the UK, but some former colleagues believe she was more intent on furthering her own personal brand, rather than the UK’s interests. A source said: ‘Britain came a distant second to Antonia’s schmoozing for Antonia’s sake.’

One tearful junior official is understood to have claimed to superiors that Mrs Romeo threatened her career prospects after she ‘challenged her ideas’.

The official allegedly begged colleagues: ‘Please help me. She’s too awful.’ Mrs Romeo flatly denies bullying staff.

When news of the complaints reached London, the Foreign Office asked Sir Tim Hitchens, a former Ambassador to Japan, to conduct an internal review.

He submitted his report to the Cabinet Office, where it was decided that Mrs Romeo had no case to answer.

The Mail on Sunday has been told that Sir Tim was ‘livid’ that Mrs Romeo was cleared after he submitted his report – although the former Ambassador declined to comment when approached by The Mail on Sunday.

Within weeks, Mrs Romeo was appointed to her current role as Permanent Secretary at the Department for International Trade.

Those involved in the complaints were told on March 17, 2017, that the claims against Mrs Romeo had been dismissed.

Ten days later she took up her international trade role.

Applications to replace Sir Mark, who will leave his £210,000-a-year post in September as head of the Civil Service, closed on Friday afternoon. The Cabinet Secretary is hugely influential, not only as the civil servant closest to the Prime Minister, but also in conducting investigations and ensuring the protection of hundreds of thousands of civil servants across Whitehall and Britain.

Mounting speculation that 45-year-old Mrs Romeo may be appointed prompted furious ex-colleagues to contact this newspaper.

Last night, one said: ‘The idea of her being in charge of pastoral care of anyone is an utter joke.’

High flyer’s expenses probed

By Harry Cole, Deputy Political Editor for Mail On Sunday 

She is one of Whitehall’s highest flying women and tipped to become the first ever female Cabinet Secretary. 

But last night Antonia Romeo was at the centre of a bullying and expenses row over her time as Britain’s top diplomat in New York.

The Permanent Secretary of the Department for International Trade is a frontrunner to replace ousted Whitehall chief Sir Mark Sedwill as head of the Civil Service – a job that would make her the Prime Minister’s closest adviser and put in charge of 430,000 officials.

However whistleblowers have accused Mrs Romeo of ‘terrorising colleagues’ and abusing the expenses system during a plum overseas posting.

A dossier of evidence detailed apparent extravagances such as sending flowers to celebrity pals like Victoria Beckham, expensive taxis and business class flights, as well as tales of her alleged fury at anyone who questioned her.

Concerns about Mrs Romeo’s behaviour during her tenure as Her Majesty’s consul general in New York were so serious that a former British Ambassador was drafted in to investigate her expenses and treatment of junior staff.

Last night a Cabinet Office spokesman said: ‘These allegations were made some time ago, were thoroughly investigated and were dismissed on the basis there was no case to answer.’

A routine review found that 47 per cent of those who worked in Mrs Romeo’s department during her time in New York reported that they had been bullied by a colleague in the previous 12 months. 

And reports reached London of ‘sobbing’ staff claiming they felt intimidated into submitting expenses for Mrs Romeo’s glittering New York lifestyle, in which she rubbed shoulders with celebrities and jetted back and forth to London for lavish award ceremonies.

During her time in New York, she hosted a series of parties for high-society figures – embarrassingly even being snapped with now-disgraced movie mogul Havery Weinstein just months before allegations of his horrific sexual misconduct surfaced.

But behind the scenes one tearful junior official is understood to have told superiors that Mrs Romeo threatened her career prospects after she ‘challenged her ideas’ and begged colleagues: ‘Please help me. She’s too awful.’

Mrs Romeo denied bullying staff.

Officially her role was to promote British interests in America, but colleagues accused her instead of building her personal brand and partying with celebrities. A source said: ‘Britain came a distant second to Antonia’s schmoozing for Antonia’s sake.’

Allegations of questionable spending of taxpayer money included more than £120,000 in school fees for her three children at an upmarket New York school not approved by the Foreign Office, excessive taxis and more than a dozen flights not considered to be in the interests of her job.

Officials in New York were particularly incensed by a last-minute flight booked to London in February 2017 so Mrs Romeo could attend the Bafta awards. They insisted that had such trips been booked ahead, there would have been significant savings.

However, when the probe concluded that there was ‘no case to answer’ in March 2017 and Mrs Romeo was promoted to a major role back in London, senior Foreign Office figures branded the affair a whitewash. 

Just ten days after she was cleared, she began her current role at the International Trade Department. 

A human resources director at the Foreign Office wrote that she was left with a ‘sense of frustration and concern’ over the conclusion of the affair.

This newspaper has spoken to multiple diplomats and insiders who claim the row was an ‘open secret’ at the top of Whitehall, with worried officials blowing the whistle now Mrs Romeo has been repeatedly tipped to head Britain’s Civil Service. 

Applications to replace Sir Mark, who will depart in September as head of the Civil Service, closed on Friday afternoon.

Not only does the role put the successful candidate at the PM’s side, they would also be responsible for investigations and protection of thousands of officials across Whitehall and the rest of the country.

Growing speculation that Mrs Romeo is in the running for the job prompted furious colleagues to contact The Mail on Sunday.

One Whitehall source said last night: ‘The idea of her being in charge of pastoral care of anyone is an utter joke.’ Should she not get the top job, Mrs Romeo is understood to be a leading contender to take over the newly merged Foreign Office and International Aid department.

The Mail on Sunday has been told that former Ambassador to Japan Sir Tim Hitchens, who investigate Mrs Romeo, was ‘livid’ that she was cleared and about her subsequent promotion.

He left the diplomatic corps shortly after completing the probe, but a former colleague said: ‘Tim is a nice guy, but he was furious at what happened. His report disappeared into the Cabinet Office and came back as a clean bill of health.’

Sir Tim, a former Assistant Private Secretary to the Queen, declined to comment when approached by The Mail on Sunday.

Last night the finger of blame for the alleged whitewashing was pointed at former Cabinet Secretary Sir Jeremy Heywood, who died in November 2018.

Mrs Romeo was initially blocked from the trade role, but Sir Jeremy secured her position after reportedly striking a ‘trade-off’ with former Prime Minister Theresa May involving another adviser he did not want her to appoint.

Respected Downing Street historian Sir Anthony Seldon wrote last year in his book, May At Ten, that Sir Jeremy ‘wanted to bring Antonia Romeo, an energetic protégé, back from the consul general job in New York to be Permanent Secretary at the Department for International Trade… a trade-off was duly negotiated’.

On Mrs Romeo’s appointment, Sir Jeremy said in March 2017: ‘Antonia has done an excellent job in a number of roles across government and will bring a strong blend of leadership and Whitehall skills at an exciting time for the department.’ 

When she took over at the international trade department, Mrs Romeo was allowed to continue to serve as consul general as well for a further four months.

It was reported during that ‘handover period’ of April to July 2017, she spent a further £31,000 of public money on eight round trips to New York, including some business-class flights and accommodation.

Last night campaign group the TaxPayers’ Alliance demanded questions be answered about ‘consulate fat cats’.

Chief executive John O’Connell said: ‘Any abuse of taxpayers’ cash is completely unacceptable.

‘Taxpayers don’t cede their hard-earned cash for it to fund the lavish lifestyles of bureaucrats and consulate fat cats. Questions must be answered and the Civil Service must ensure they put a stop to any misuse of public funds.’

Last night, allies of Mrs Romeo, a 45-year-old mother of three, denied the charges of bullying and of misusing expenses, and insisted she maintained the support of senior colleagues.