Responding to reports Sir Simon McDonald – permanent secretary at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office – is set to retire early after the Prime Minister indicated he wanted someone new after the merger with the Department for International Development, Liberal Democrat foreign affairs spokesperson Alistair Carmichael said: “Sir Simon McDonald’s premature departure from the FCO will raise many questions.
“McDonald has been a constant voice of reason and his absence will be noticed at a time when the Government appear intent on undermining the UK’s position on the world stage.
“The Government’s bully boy approach to the civil service is dangerous and counterproductive at such a precarious moment in our country’s history.”