She hails from the think tank sector, where she held a senior position at the Resolution Foundation, focusing on cost-of-living issues, and has been credited with enhancing Labour’s engagement with business. The policy expert earns considerable acclaim from colleagues, though some worry she may be “indecisive.”
Jill Cuthbertson
Cuthbertson, part of the acting-up deputy chief of staff pair, is credited with a deeper grasp of the political landscape, having worked with former Labour leaders Gordon Brown and Ed Miliband.
Cuthbertson is set to take extended leave in the coming months, but one option being considered is making the job-share permanent.
Amy Richards
Previously a long-time adviser to Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper, the PM brought Richards into No.10 to enhance communications with backbenchers.
The political director is highly regarded among special advisers, who don’t attribute any fault to her for the current mood of the Parliamentary Labour Party.
Long shots …
External possibilities being mentioned include the PM’s chief secretary Darren Jones, communications head Tim Allan, Starmer biographer Tom Baldwin, National Security Adviser Jonathan Powell (formerly Tony Blair’s chief of staff, though under scrutiny over the Mandelson appointment), and Rachel Reeves’ top adviser Ben Nunn.
POLITICO London Playbook suggests another name for fun: ex-chief of staff Sue Gray, who resigned in October 2024 after a power struggle with McSweeney… because who doesn’t love a comeback?
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