LONDON – Keir Starmer launched a desperate bid to ‘reset’ his team yesterday as one of his spin chiefs dramatically quit.
No.10 Strategic Communications Director James Lyons announced he is leaving the role after a year.
Meanwhile, Treasury Minister Darren Jones has been appointed to the new post of ‘secretary to the PM’ as Sir Keir scrambles to stabilise his administration.
Lyons insisted he had never intended to stay in indefinitely and had wanted to help ‘get a grip’ after a ‘difficult’ few months for the Labour government.
However, the departure raises fresh questions about Sir Keir’s judgment, after the exits of his previous Comms Director Matthew Doyle and chief of staff Sue Gray.
It follows a torrid summer for the premier, dominated by protests about Channel boats and asylum hotels.
Labour is trailing far behind Nigel Farage’s Reform in the polls, with fears Rachel Reeves will have to impose more eye-watering tax hikes at the budget to fill a huge black hole in the public finances.
Last week, it emerged that Nin Pandit had been moved from the key civil service role of principal private secretary to the PM.
That job is now being taken by Treasury veteran Dan York-Smith.
Pandit will head up a Downing Street Delivery Team.
James Murray has been promoted to Chief Secretary to the Treasury, taking over from Jones.
Former Bank of England Deputy Governor Minouche Shafik has also been drafted in as Sir Keir’s Chief Economic Adviser.
Tim Allan has become the Government’s Executive Director of Communications, working alongside the existing No.10 Comms Chief Steph Driver.
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