SIr Keir Starmer begins reshuffle of Downing Street team | Politics News

Sir Keir Starmer has announced a shake-up of his team in Downing Street as he seeks to reset his premiership after a difficult first year in office.

Darren Jones, who was serving as the chief secretary to the Treasury, has been moved to Number 10 to oversee the day-to-day delivery of the prime minister’s priorities.

Politics latest: Starmer begins Downing Street reshuffle

It is a new senior role in which he will work across government to “drive forward progress in key policy areas”, Downing Street said.

His official title is chief secretary to the prime minister, and he will respond directly to the PM.

Mr Jones has long been seen as a rising star of the Labour Party, rising to prominence in 2021 as chair of the business select committee, when he made a name for himself holding business leaders to account.

He has previously described Tony Blair as his political hero and is understood to have privately urged the government to be more radical.

James Murray, who was the exchequer secretary, has been promoted to Mr Jones’s former role – essentially the deputy to Chancellor Rachel Reeves.

Dan Tomlinson, a new MP from the 2024 intake who was the government’s “growth mission champion”, will replace Mr Murray.

Downing Street said the shake up is intended to “bolster” its operations to mark a new term in parliament, promising a “ramping up” of delivering on the government’s “Plan for Change”.

Economist Baroness Minouche Shafik will also take on a new senior role in Downing Street, as chief economic adviser.

Tim Allan, a former adviser to Tony Blair, has been appointed as the government’s Executive Director of Communications and will work with existing director of communications, Steph Driver

James Lyons, who had been director of strategic communications within No 10, has left his role after a year.

Mr Lyons said he had told colleagues that he never intended to serve in the role forever, and had been planning on departing Downing Street by the end of the year – but has now brought this forward.

The prime minister’s Deputy Chief of Staff Vidhya Alakeson will take on the expanded and additional responsibilities of overall oversight of Policy and Delivery within Downing Street.

Daniel York-Smith has been appointed as the prime minister’s Principal Private Secretary (PPS). PPS’s are senior civil servants who runs a cabinet minister’s private office.

The role was previously held by Nin Pandit, who remains within the No10 team and will lead a newly reformed Downing Street Delivery Team.

Although many of these names are not well-known public figures, the shake up is significant as it marks the beginning of a “reset” in government.

The summer recess has been marred by negative headlines on immigration and Channel crossings with Reform UK leader Nigel Farage dominating the discussions.

Sir Keir’s popularity ratings have plummeted after a challenging first year in which he faced backlash on issues like the cut to the winter fuel payment, the rise in employer National Insurance tax and planned welfare reforms.

The Tories said the reshuffle shows a “Downing Street in crisis – totally distracted from fixing the damage they’ve done to the economy, jobs and small businesses”.