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Hello and welcome to a special Saturday edition of Coffee House Shots.

I'm Kate Paul's and I'm joined by Henry Newman,

former advisor to Michael Gove and Boris Johnson,

and the editor of Whitehall Watch on Substack.

Henry, thanks for joining today.

We are going to look at the expected departure of Simon Case,

the circumstances, and then what might come next? I suppose it's been quite clear for some time, I think probably for two main reasons, that Simon Case was not going to hang around for a long time as Cabinet Secretary if Kistama won.

Firstly, because we know that he has had a leave of absence on health grounds, it was why his

COVID appearance was delayed.

He has been back, but I think since then there has been a sense

that he would perhaps change to a less stressful job

than being the most senior civil servant in the country.

But then also, I think even if that hadn't happened, the fact that there is much

talk and some evidence that Sue Gray and Simon Case were not a natural fit.

Sue Gray of course a former senior civil servant

who is now K his Darmas Chief of Staff.

And I think missed career opportunities

for Sue Gray at the hands potentially a Simon case meant that

...