More personnel changes to the dysfunctional Cabinet Office as a Blair/Brown era veteran is brought in to manage trade and bolster Michael Ellam’s operation. Ellam, formerly Brown’s director of communications, was brought in at the start of the year as Second Permanent Secretary, European Union and International Economic Affairs…
Now Steve Field, former director of communications at the Treasury during the Brown ministry, has moved over to the Cabinet Office to serve as a Director General in the European & Global Issues Secretariat supporting Ellam. Field is moving across from the Treasury – he was at the IMF prior to that…
The secretariat manages trade and European relations across government and has a line to the PM and top Downing Street officials.
Insider sources tell Guido that Field, who served briefly as Cameron’s spokesman, is leading on “all US trade issues and G20” along with “EU Implementation” and water regulation. Ellam is meanwhile focussing on trade with China – a priority for Labour…
Government sources tell Guido that Justin Forsyth – longtime Blair/Brown SpAd from the New Labour days – has been seen flitting to and from Jonathan Powell’s rooms in the Cabinet Office. In case of emergency pull the “bring back all the Blair/Brown people” lever…
Starmer was read out a list of his 13 U-turns on BBC Radio 2, to which he responded:
“Well, I am a common sense merchant.”