Some eyebrows have been raised recently at the effectiveness of Downing Street’s media operation. Guido hears from inside No 10 there is some disquiet at Director of Communications Matthew Doyle’s handling of events…
Seasoned veteran James Lyons was brought in as Director of Strategic Communications last October in a shake-up. It was Lyons who was present at the meeting last week at which Tulip Siddiq was told to refer herself to Laurie Magnus…
Doyle received his fair share of negative briefing from advisers during Starmer’s difficult first 100 days. Now there is speculation about Lyons being moved up the chain of command in the future. One Downing Street source tells Guido Doyle is “widely seen by the new seniors in Number 10 as out of his depth.” That said, other sources rallied to defend him and suggested those briefings are wrong and getting ahead of themselves. Whatever the situation, it’s clearly not happy families…
Sarah Pochin at Reform Scotland’s manifesto launch event: “I really wanted to come on in a Reform tartan burka, but apparently I wasn’t allowed… One day let’s do one of these events not live-streamed. We’ll do all the naughty stuff…”