Sir Keir Starmer is not going to stand down and stays “upbeat and assured” regardless of his second prime aide quitting in lower than 24 hours.
The prime minister’s director of communications, Tim Allan, a former adviser to Sir Tony Blair, introduced on Monday morning he was resigning simply 5 months after being introduced in to regular the Downing Avenue ship.
Sir Keir’s fourth head of communications since Labour gained the election in July 2024 stop lower than 24 hours after the PM’s chief of workers Morgan McSweeney resigned over his function in appointing Lord Mandelson as ambassador to the US.
Additional hyperlinks between Lord Mandelson and the paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein had been revealed final week, with fingers rapidly being pointed at Mr McSweeney for encouraging his appointment.
However Mr Allan solely turned head of communications per week earlier than Lord Mandelson was sacked final September, so was not concerned in his appointment.
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A number of Labour MPs have publicly known as for Sir Keir to step down over the entire episode, with the PM set to handle his MPs later at present.
Nevertheless, Downing Avenue remained defiant on Monday lunchtime, with the prime minister’s spokesman saying Sir Keir is not going to resign at present and his temper is “upbeat and assured”.
Saying his resignation, Mr Allan mentioned: “I’ve determined to face down to permit a brand new No 10 staff to be constructed.
“I want the PM and his staff each success.”
Tim Allan has stepped down after 5 months as head of communications
The Conservatives jumped on the second resignation of a key Starmer aide in lower than 24 hours.
Matt Vickers, deputy chairman of the Conservative Celebration, mentioned: “The rats are abandoning the sinking ship that’s Keir Starmer’s premiership.
“Labour MPs ought to cease moaning and put him out of his distress. The nation deserves so significantly better than this weak, chaotic authorities.
“The general public is crying out for management with a spine, a powerful staff and the clear plans to get Britain working once more. That’s Kemi Badenoch’s new Conservative Celebration.”
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Sir Keir instructed Downing Avenue workers at a gathering simply earlier than Mr Allan’s resignation that they have to show that politics generally is a “power for good” and that they’ll go ahead “with confidence as we proceed altering the nation”.
Concerning the determination to nominate Lord Mandelson as British ambassador to Washington, he mentioned: “The factor that makes me most indignant is the undermining of the assumption that politics generally is a power for good and might change lives.
“I’ve been completely clear that I remorse the choice that I made to nominate Peter Mandelson. And I’ve apologised to the victims, which is the proper factor to do.”
He described Mr McSweeney as a “colleague and a pal” who he has identified for eight years and has “been in each battle that we would have liked to be in collectively”.
“We modified the Labour Celebration collectively. We gained a basic election collectively. And none of that may have been attainable with out Morgan McSweeney,” he instructed workers.
“His dedication, his dedication and his loyalty to our celebration and our nation was second to none. And I wish to thank him for his service.”
Mr Allan was introduced in to show Quantity 10’s communication technique round, greater than 25 years after leaving Sir Tony’s Downing Avenue as his deputy press secretary.
Some inside Quantity 10 had resisted his appointment as a result of communications firm he based, Portland, having taken on work to assist enhance the Kremlin’s picture.
In direction of the top of his most up-to-date Downing Avenue tenure, Mr Allan angered journalists by eliminating the every day afternoon assembly during which reporters quiz Quantity 10.
He additionally launched social media influencers to PM occasions and visits, usually solely open to conventional media.
