During the hearing, “Columbia in Crisis: Columbia University’s Response to Anti-Semitism”, the then-president of the Ivy League university changed her testimony after telling Democratic representative Ilhan Omar that she was not aware of any anti-Jewish demonstrations on campus. Shafik also came under pressure for the institution’s failure to remove an academic who had allegedly referred to Hamas’s 7 October attacks approvingly as a “resistance offensive”.

Shafik’s resignation, which was announced only two weeks ago, followed those of Claudine Gay of Harvard University and Elizabeth Magill of the University of Pennsylvania, who were both ousted over concerns around their inadequate response to campus antisemitism.

In her letter Shafik, a crossbench peer, mentioned that the new Labour ministry had asked her “to chair a review of the government’s approach to international development and how to improve capability”. She added: “It also enables me to return to the House of Lords to reengage with the important legislative agenda put forth by the new UK government.”

While Shafik most recently came under fire, other potential candidates will not escape criticism. Word has it that Sharon White is being considered. The former head of John Lewis, which reported a loss of £234m last year, oversaw the scrapping of annual bonuses and attempted to sell stocks in the employee-owned company to outside investors to raise cash.

Also reportedly in the running to be Cabinet Secretary is Theresa May’s chief Brexit negotiator Olly Robbins, who has been known to receive a tough time from Brexiteers who believe he wanted to remain too close to the EU. Politico reports suggest that Robbins has met with Keir Starmer’s influential Chief of Staff Sue Gray. Ofcom chief Melanie Dawes, a former economist and permanent secretary at the Housing department, is another contender.

Case has been a controversial figure during his time heading the Civil Service. One of the infamous lockdown drinks events happened in Case’s office in Whitehall, while disparaging WhatsApp messages he sent about Boris Johnson were revealed at the Covid inquiry in May. The Cabinet Secretary told the inquiry that he “deeply regretted” messages in which he said Johnson “cannot lead” and others where he referred to Government officials as “pygmies”.

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Max Mitchell is UnHerd’s Assistant Editor, Newsroom.

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