As reported on 26 November, Matt Tee is to leave the Cabinet Office in March and will not be replaced.
One senior government comms source said Whitehall comms directors believed they had 'lost a strong ally'.
The source added: 'There's general nervousness about running with fewer resources. Some of the smaller departments are actively looking at merging press teams.'
Another Whitehall insider suggested that Tee, and his predecessor Howell James, had both failed to achieve significant proximity to the Prime Minister, as was originally envisaged when the role was created in 2003.
A Cabinet Office spokesman responded: 'It is true that the requirement for a permanent secretary position for government comms was reviewed when the previous permanent secretary left government.'
See story on the abolition of Matt Tee's post
