The head of the civil service Simon Case has announced he will resign at the end of the year on health grounds.
Mr Case, 45, said in a letter to colleagues that he has been undergoing medical treatment for a neurological condition over the last 18 months.
“Whilst the spirit remains willing, the body is not”, the Cabinet Secretary wrote.
“It is a shame that I feel I have to spell this out, but my decision is solely to do with my health and nothing to do with anything else.”
Mr Case was appointed Cabinet Secretary in September 2020, making him the UK’s most senior civil servant.
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