Sir Keir Starmer has introduced a shake-up of his staff in Downing Avenue as he seeks to reset his premiership after a troublesome first yr in workplace.
Darren Jones, who was serving because the chief secretary to the Treasury, has been moved to Quantity 10 to supervise the day-to-day supply of the prime minister’s priorities.
Politics newest: Starmer begins Downing Avenue reshuffle
It’s a new senior position through which he’ll work throughout authorities to “drive forward progress in key policy areas”, Downing Avenue stated. His official title is chief secretary to the prime minister, and he’ll reply on to the PM.
Mr Jones has lengthy been seen as a rising star of the Labour Celebration. He was elected because the Bristol North-West MP in 2017 and rose to prominence a number of years later as chair of the enterprise choose committee, when he made a reputation for himself holding enterprise leaders to account.
He has beforehand described Tony Blair as his political hero and is known to have privately urged the federal government to be extra radical.
James Murray, who was the exchequer secretary, has been promoted to Mr Jones’s former position – basically the deputy to Chancellor Rachel Reeves.
Picture:
Darren Jones is now Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister
Dan Tomlinson, a brand new MP from the 2024 consumption who was the federal government’s “growth mission champion”, will substitute Mr Murray.
Downing Avenue stated the shake up is meant to “bolster” its operations to mark a brand new time period in parliament, promising a “ramping up” of delivering on the federal government’s “Plan for Change”.
Economist Baroness Minouche Shafik will even tackle a brand new senior position in Downing Avenue, as chief financial adviser.
Tim Allan, a former adviser to Tony Blair, has been appointed as the federal government’s Govt Director of Communications and can work with current director of communications, Steph Driver
James Lyons, who had been director of strategic communications inside No 10, has left his position after a yr.
As he left, the previous print journalist stated his position on the coronary heart of presidency “was never intended as a long haul”.
In additional adjustments, the prime minister’s Deputy Chief of Workers Vidhya Alakeson will tackle the expanded duties of total oversight of Coverage and Supply inside Downing Avenue.
Daniel York-Smith has been appointed because the prime minister’s Principal Personal Secretary (PPS), a senior civil servant place.
Picture:
James Murray is the brand new Chief Secretary to the Treasury
The position was beforehand held by Nin Pandit, who departed final week, although she stays in Downing Avenue and can lead a “newly reformed” supply staff, the spokesperson stated.
Though many of those names will not be well-known public figures, the shake up is critical because it marks the start of a “reset” in authorities.
The summer season recess has been marred by unfavorable headlines on immigration and Channel crossings with Reform UK chief Nigel Farage dominating the discussions.
It follows a troublesome yr through which Sir Keir’s recognition scores have plummeted following controversial selections such because the lower to winter gasoline cost and welfare reforms.
The Tories stated the reshuffle exhibits a “Downing Street in crisis – totally distracted from fixing the damage they’ve done to the economy, jobs and small businesses”.
