Mark Sedwill promised shot at Nato top job
Pledge to outgoing cabinet secretary ‘could be sacrificed’ by Downing Street

Boris Johnson has told Mark Sedwill that he will receive British backing to be the next chief of Nato as part of his exit package from the civil service, according to reports.
Sedwill, who will step down as cabinet secretary and national security adviser to the PM in September, “was apparently told by the prime minister that Number 10 will put his name forward for the highly-coveted position”, the Daily Mail reports.
Current general secretary, Jens Stoltenberg, is not expected to retire from the role until the end of 2022, leading some Whitehall sources to question whether Johnson “will actually deliver on the promise, given that it is so far in the future”, the paper adds.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Johnson told Sedwill that securing the top Nato role for the UK is “critical to his ‘Global Britain’ agenda”, The Times says. But Sedwill “may struggle to win the support of other European Nato members amid probable competition from Mark Rutte”, the serving Dutch prime minister, the paper notes.
“I think Mark is either brave or courageous to accept a promise that they’ll do that in 2022,” one Whitehall source told the paper. “I really hope they keep their word but we’ve all seen this happen before.”
The source added that Sedwill’s hopes for the top Nato role could be “sacrificed” by Number 10 in the future for “something that they really want”.
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––For a round-up of the most important stories from around the world - and a concise, refreshing and balanced take on the week’s news agenda - try The Week magazine. Start your trial subscription today –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
The announcement that the UK’s most senior civil servant would be stepping down “sent shockwaves through Whitehall” on Sunday and followed “repeated reports of clashes” with Johnson’s closest aide Dominic Cummings.
The Guardian said that Sedwill’s departure will be seen as a “victory for Dominic Cummings” and for Michael Gove, who “is pushing through a restructuring of government departments”.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Today's political cartoons - April 19, 2025
Cartoons Saturday's cartoons - free trade, judicial pushback, and more
By The Week US
-
5 educational cartoons about the Harvard pushback
Cartoons Artists take on academic freedom, institutional resistance, and more
By The Week US
-
One-pan black chickpeas with baharat and orange recipe
The Week Recommends This one-pan dish offers bold flavours, low effort and minimum clean up
By The Week UK
-
Russia's spring offensive: what does it mean for Ukraine?
Today's Big Question Ukraine's military campaigner says much-anticipated offensive has begun
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK
-
Greenland: Sending in the advance guard
Feature The Vice President's 3-day trip to Greenland was cut short after facing backlash from local officials and residents
By The Week US
-
'Moving the headquarters isn't about abandoning Washington'
Instant Opinion 'Opinion, comment and editorials of the day'
By Justin Klawans, The Week US
-
Has Starmer put Britain back on the world stage?
Talking Point UK takes leading role in Europe on Ukraine and Starmer praised as credible 'bridge' with the US under Trump
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK
-
How Trump is changing the US-Russia relationship
Talking Points And how will Europe, Ukraine respond?
By Joel Mathis, The Week US
-
Why are Europe's leaders raising red flags about Trump's Ukraine overtures to Putin?
TODAY'S BIG QUESTION Officials from across the continent warn that any peace plan without their input is doomed from the start
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US
-
Left on read: Labour's WhatsApp dilemma
Talking Point Andrew Gwynne has been sacked as health minister over messages posted in a Labour WhatsApp group
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK
-
Is Russia's 'shadow fleet' attacking Western infrastructure?
In the Spotlight Built to evade sanctions, but sabotage may be next
By Joel Mathis, The Week US