Brown 'ally' is new top civil servant

Sir Andrew Turnbull will become Britain's top civil servant today when appointed Cabinet Secretary.

Sir Andrew is moving up from Permanent Secretary at the Treasury to become the main link between No10 and Whitehall. Known as a civil service reformer, his appointment will also be seen as strengthening Chancellor Gordon Brown's power base.

Sir Andrew, 57, will get a salary of up to £245,000 when Sir Richard Wilson retires in September.

Tony Blair, who interviewed four candidates, was said to have been impressed by his enthusiasm for public-service reform, including the appointment of outsiders to senior civil service jobs.

Sir Andrew went to Enfield Grammar School and Christ's College, Cambridge, where he read economics. He joined the Treasury in 1970. He enjoys walking, opera and golf and his club in his Who's Who entry is Tottenham Hotspur.