Steph Driver will need to be replaced. The gruelling job of running Downing Street’s day-to-day communications operation is not one to be envied…
Starmer has form on appointing externals too. Good luck to anyone joining the sinking ship…
Gone from the top of Starmer’s operation in Phase 2:
This is all since Starmer declared on 1 September that the new Downing Street was “confident and full of conviction about what we’re doing.” The curse of Keir…
Guido is told other staff are considering their position now. Meanwhile Morgan McSweeney continues to dominate headlines for another week in a scandal over his record at Labour Together. Something something sinking ship…
Starmer’s director of communications Steph Driver is leaving Downing Street. Yet another massive resignation from the top…
Driver worked for Starmer for five years and has decided to walk after a series of ructions has thinned the Starmerite/Morganite cadre at the top of Downing Street. Well-regarded by insiders as one of the most hard-working individuals around Starmer and relied upon by the PM at key moments…
Guido hears numerous Downing Street political staff were not content with Blairite veteran Tim Allan’s placement above Driver in the food chain as executive director of communications. Her departure is a severe blow to the Starmer operation. Guido hears other staff are now considering their positions…
The markets have issued their verdict:
Do investors not have faith in Minouche Shafik?
One thing hacks have missed in their estimation of the new Downing Street communications director’s political acumen is his decision to fund Change UK – The Independent Group. Remember them?
Allan, who founded and ran the lobbying firm Portland Communications, funded the Brexit heroes led by Chuka Umunna and Anna Soubry in 2019 to the tune of a whopping £20,000. His only previous notable donation was a £10,000 bung to Liz Kendall in her campaign for the 2015 Labour leadership…
That donation made Allan the third largest donor to CHUKTIG at the time. Revealing the extent of his political nous Allan said: “This is a personal donation, that has nothing whatsoever to do with Portland… I wanted to play some role, in a personal capacity, in helping those who want to shake up British politics, because it certainly needs it.” The TIGgers were crucial in forcing Labour into a second referendum position and scuppering the initial indicative votes, thus pushing Brexit into the sightlines…
Guido is not sure that is what Allan had in mind. There is disquiet in government over the reheated Blairite hire. The new communications director – Starmer’s fourth in five years – joked to his new colleagues yesterday that “government communications had changed a little since he last worked in No 10 some 27 years ago.” You bet…
There are worries that Starmer’s 23rd reset does not go far enough. At least Tony Blair is happy…
The initial “too abrasive” assessment of outgoing strategic communications director James Lyons has been borne out and his replacement Tim Allan – the appointment of whom Lyons was opposed – is viewed dimly by some government sources. Allan is a personal confidant of Blair and Alistair Campbell and is viewed by some as ”yet another Blairite” who had it easy as deputy Downing Street communications director in the early New Labour years. Another source in No10 tells Guido all hopes are on the “1990s retread” now. Labour insiders naturally point to the lack of the internet, loads of cash from the Major ministry, and strong sustained GDP growth…
Personnel changes to fix malaise in the private office and more effectively assign responsibility on policy and delivery have gone down well in general. The lack of movement in the Cabinet Office has not…
As Guido reported earlier in the summer the “engine of government” is seen as dysfunctional and there have been no changes to its top roster during this “reset.” Hated Cabinet Secretary Chris Wormald is still in place as well as permanent and second permanent secretaries Cat Little and Clara Swinson. One Downing Street source said newly promoted Darren Jones “could be very useful” if he was paired with an effective Cabinet Secretary or Cabinet Office Permanent Secretary. Olly Robbins and Antonia Romeo are names that come up as potential replacements…
There are many other operators thought of as ineffective including the Labour Party communications director Joe Dancey – boyfriend of Streeting – who had his beefy role downgraded in May. Doesn’t look like he got the hint…
A junior ministerial reshuffle is still on the way and is expected by some government insiders to kick off next week. Safe to say Starmer has run out of people to blame at only 13 months in…
UPDATE: Joe Dancey departing from his communications role. Someone’s listening…
Kemi Badenoch at the 1922-ConHome bash last night:
“I did praise [Burnham] for his stamina, it was amazing. All I had to do was sit back and lie there. I didn’t have to do anything at all…”