Almost all of Liz Truss’s radical restructuring of No. 10 has been undone by Rishi, Guido understands. From Liz’s first days in office she made it clear her Downing Street operation would be run very differently to recent iterations and set about moving swathes of SpAds out of No. 10 as well as de-prioritising the press office.
How did that work out?

One of her main campaign promises – directed to MPs – was that the press office had become too important in Downing Street’s day-to-day operations, and would be moved out of No. 12 after having been based there since Alastair Campbell’s days. Instead, Liz promised, the whips office would move back in to improve party management. Again, it didn’t go to plan…

In the last two weeks, Rishi has reversed both of these changes. Liz also moved dozens of SpAds out of Downing Street and into the Cabinet Office, under the control of Cabinet Office Economic & Domestic Secretariat – run by Rachel Reeves‘ husband.

Under Liz, the data science unit, legislative affairs unit, delivery unit and much of the Boris-era policy unit moved out of No. 10.
While data science and delivery are staying put under Rishi, legislative affairs and the policy unit have moved wholesale back into No. 10.

Among these structural changes, Guido’s list continues to grow. The policy unit is getting filled rapidly, with Eleanor Shawcross in as head of policy, James Nation as her deputy and Douglas McNeill as the PM’s economic advisor. Jean Andre Prager is back as DWP & DCMS advisor – Rishi is his fourth PM, making him the spiritual deputy to Sheridan Westlake…

Following his scoop last week that Will Tanner is moving back to No. 10 as Rishi’s deputy chief of staff, Guido can add that Will is one of two deputy chiefs of staff, with long-time aide Rupert Yorke taking the political deputyship and Tanner the policy deputyship.

Lisa Lovering is in as head of operations, and former Boris and Zac Goldsmith advisor Nathan Johnson Paul is in the political team.
Guido’s pleased to say he now has at least one SpAd nailed down for each department. As ever, get in touch with any updates…
Read the list in full here and below: