How has the team in Number 10 changed and what are the potential implications?
A period of turmoil for the Government has prompted the Prime Minister to appoint new senior officials as he seeks stability.
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Your support makes all the difference.The Prime Minister has moved to shake up his top team after weeks of negative headlines and questions over the new Government’s direction.
Here are the details of changes in Number 10, the context in which they happened and the potential implications.
– Who has left Number 10?
Sue Gray resigned as Sir Keir Starmer’s chief of staff just three months after Labour came to power.
Confirming her departure, Ms Gray said she was “pleased to have accepted a new role as the Prime Minister’s envoy for the regions and nations”, but her time in Number 10 is now over.
A high-profile and some would say controversial figure since she authored a report into partygate, Ms Gray was appointed to Sir Keir’s top team when Labour were in opposition last year.
Keen to portray her departure as amicable, Ms Gray said: “It has been an honour to take on the role of chief of staff, and to play my part in the delivery of a Labour Government.”
– What is the context of her departure?
In recent weeks Number 10 has been plagued by reports of infighting, as rows over Ms Gray’s salary and Government freebies persisted.
The focus in particular on Ms Gray being paid more than the Prime Minister suggested it was the most important bone of contention, but reports suggested there was a broader unease among some Government insiders over Ms Gray’s position, power and influence.
Ms Gray acknowledged the focus on her was unsustainable, saying it had “become clear to me that intense commentary around my position risked becoming a distraction to the Government’s vital work of change”.
– Who is Sue Gray’s replacement?
Ms Gray has been replaced as chief of staff by Morgan McSweeney who led Labour’s general election campaign, and with whom she was reported to have clashed.
Going back further, Mr McSweeney masterminded Sir Keir’s leadership campaign and entered Number 10 as head of political strategy – a key role focused on securing long-term Labour success.
While Mr McSweeny has been described as popular with Labour staff, his role leading the think tank Labour Together, which campaigned to undermine Jeremy Corbyn’s influence in the party, means there may be some on the left who view him with suspicion.
Mr McSweeney worked for the party during the New Labour years and had a stint as chief of staff to Environment Secretary Steve Reed when he was leader of Lambeth Council.
– Who else has been appointed?
There are two new deputy chiefs of staff: Vidhya Alakeson, the political director at Number 10, and Jill Cuthbertson, who has been director of government relations in Downing Street since July.
She had previously worked for former Labour leaders Gordon Brown and Ed Miliband.
After weeks of briefings about tensions inside Number 10, former journalist James Lyons will be in charge of a new strategic communications team, joining Downing Street from social media giant TikTok.
Nin Pandit, who previously ran the Downing Street policy unit, has been appointed principal private secretary to the Prime Minister, a senior civil service position.
– What impact will the changes have?
It clearly remains to be seen, but ministers will hope a refreshed top team will bring new energy and focus on ensuring Labour’s first 100 days are not defined by internal skirmishes and expensive gifts from donors.
When he thanked Ms Gray for her support, Sir Keir referenced her work getting the party “started on our programme of change”.
Now, after a rocky few weeks, the challenge will be to persuade the public that Labour can increase efforts on delivering that programme and its promise to improve lives.
If recent polls on the Government’s favourability ratings are anything to go by, it will take significant effort to quickly shift the narrative away from one of turmoil to one of determined delivery.
A reset provides an opportunity for fresh perspectives and new ideas, with a quick shift in the dynamic at the centre of Government needed if progress is to be made.
In a striking assessment, Defence Secretary John Healey said the heart of the new Government became a “lightning conductor for criticism”.
The Prime Minister is now looking to demonstrate he now has a grip on how Number 10 operates and there will likely be a renewed focus on clearly articulating how change will be delivered.
This will be considered a matter of urgency with the Budget and multi-year spending review fast approaching.
These events always come with political peril, but the state of the public finances and warnings of difficult trade-offs that create winners and losers will need to be carefully managed by a new Government still searching for stability after a very tricky period.