A few thoughts about the Antonia Romeo furore. This will doubtless not help her at all but Starmer would be nuts to cave in on appointing her as the first female cabinet secretary.

1) Yes, she is ballsy and brassy (in a very posh way), likes a party and mixes with all sorts of interesting folk. She’s flirty and fun and scary in equal measure but these outgoing people skills mean she brings people with her. Is she better with men than women? Possibly. She’s ambitious! And admits it! Good grief. A woman with ambition. Whatever next?

Starmer would be nuts to cave in on appointing her as the first female cabinet secretary

2) Bluntly, she’s also an arse-kicker, a doer, someone who partnered with Shabana Mahmood, forming the best minister-mandarin double act in Whitehall. She is exactly the kind of disruptor any PM needs if they want to actually get anything done. This passive PM needs this more than anyone, particularly after........

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