Starmer’s Phase Two has landed – who are the new advisers at the heart of government? 

By Ali Craft – Director

Twelve months ago, we published our first Who’s Who – Inside Government, a look behind the door of No. 10, which mapped the spheres of power inside the Prime Minister’s team and across government. Now, over a year later, we’re launching a brand new, fully updated report that shows just how much has changed behind the famous black door.  

The reshuffle that followed Angela Rayner’s resignation was significant and wide reaching. Although many Cabinet positions were filled by existing members of Starmer’s top team, and most took their Special Advisers with them to their new departments, there’s still a lot of churn amongst the SpAds. As new and returning advisers get to grips with their new briefs, they are also consistently on the lookout for input and engagement from businesses  

At No.10, with the exception of Chief of Staff Morgan McSweeney, the personnel are markedly different to those who entered Downing Street last July. Following the resignation of Paul Ovenden (Starmer’s Director of Strategy) and Steph Driver (the PM’s long-serving comms chief) in the run up to Labour Conference, and the departure of Director of Comms Matthew Doyle a few months ago, the communications team is unrecognisable, having taken much of the blame for Labour’s inability to establish a coherent and consistent political narrative over the past year.  

There are also new figures in policy development roles. Most significant is the appointment of the academic Baroness Minouche Shafik as economic advisor in No.10, following a long search, Vidhya Alakeson also finds her role as Deputy Chief of staff now encompassing policy and delivery too. All  these key advisers are mapped in the report by department, alongside some insight on each individual.   

With Reform consistently ahead in every opinion poll, the Prime Minister has been clear that, in his view, the only way for Labour to secure a second term is through delivery. Specifically, they need to go into that next general election showing clear progress on economic growth and improving the financial situation for the millions of Britons who have been finding life difficult ever since the 2008 financial crash.   

To do this, the rhetoric coming from Government has been to secure private sector investment and every department has been tasked with delivering on this goal. We know from our work with clients that there are still serious barriers to delivering that investment in every sector. For the Government to match the rhetoric with action, it’s crucial that those advising ministers have access to (and listen to) the businesses that they are relying on to deliver that growth and, with it, improved living standards. 

At Cavendish, we pride ourselves in having the best-connected Westminster public affairs team in the industry. Our senior team are full of people who have worked in the Labour Party for years, working alongside those who are now in senior positions in No.10 and across Whitehall.  

To find out more about who now advises the most senior politicians in government, download our report and reach out if you have any questions about how we can help you to amplify your voice in Whitehall and Westminster.