British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced on Monday “major” changes in his government as part of his efforts to halt the decline in the Labour Party’s popularity in opinion polls.
According to the British newspaper Financial Times, the government confirmed that Darren Jones, the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, will move to a new senior post in Downing Street, where he will be responsible for “driving progress on key political priorities” and will “report directly to the prime minister.”
The government also confirmed that Starmer has appointed former Bank of England Deputy Governor Minouche Shafik as his chief economic adviser.
Meanwhile, Tim Allan, former media adviser to ex-Prime Minister Tony Blair during his first term and founder of the Portland communications agency, has been appointed as Executive Director of Government Communications.
Dan York-Smith – a senior Treasury official who oversaw tax and welfare policy at the finance ministry – will become Starmer’s Principal Private Secretary.
