What does the appointment of Antonia Romeo as Cabinet Secretary mean for the Government and the Civil Service?

A huge amount has been written about Antonia in the run up to her appointment – and a lot of it is spot on. Antonia is a very smart, energetic and driven person, with a great instinct for forming good relationships with people from senior politicians downwards. She also has an instinct for story-telling and creating a public image that isn’t traditional among senior civil servants.

For my part I think all of those are good things – and just what the Civil Service needs in a more politicised, impatient and image-conscious environment than it faced 10 or 20 years ago. There’s a good chance that two changes could flow from this. One is that she will prove much more effective at helping the Prime Minister drive change through the system – and, almost as important, at persuading the politicians that she and other professional leaders want to deliver change.

The other is that she will start to turn round the public image of the Civil Service – still an incredibly important institution but one battered by years of hostility from assorted politicians and media. This requires visibility, confidence and the ability to build and sustain a compelling narrative matched by delivery.

If you’re fortunate enough to come into contact with Antonia, my prediction is you’ll be impressed – and you could impress her too if your facts and story are super-clear. She has got a great background in international trade and the economy, as well as areas like criminal justice.

But bear in mind what Antonia’s job really is. The Civil Service remains a federal system, with more than 500,000 staff scattered across many departments: it has common standards and values, but power is distributed. The most important part of Antonia’s job will be at the right-hand of the Prime Minister, helping him to set his agenda, drive change and navigate trouble. For those dealing with Government, it will remain vital to navigate all its complexity – twenty departments, dozens of agencies and the Treasury, as well as, just occasionally, the Cabinet Office and No10.