Inside the Power Circle: The Key Figures Shaping Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s Tenure at Downing Street

Exploring the Key Figures in Prime Minister Keir Starmer's Core Team

Sky News examines the influential individuals surrounding Sir Keir, anticipated to hold significant positions within Downing Street.

Political journalist @Journoamrogers

Saturday, July 6, 2024, at 1

Sir Keir Starmer has taken up residence at 10 Downing Street, marking the first time a Labour leader has ascended to the role of prime minister through electoral victory since Sir Tony Blair in 1997.

Sir Keir may hold the highest position, but the close group of advisors around him has also been acknowledged for playing a significant role in his ascent to leadership.

Here, Sky News examines key members of the prime minister's core team who are expected to be influential in managing Downing Street operations.

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Morgan McSweeney

Morgan McSweeney, the party's campaign director, has been instrumental in advancing Sir Keir's journey from a candidate for Labour leadership to becoming the prime minister.

He first met Sir Keir through Steve Reed, the newly appointed environment secretary and ex-head of Lambeth Council, with whom he collaborated to overcome the left-wing group within the council.

The duo then established the think tank Labour Together, designed as a haven for moderate Labour members, with Mr. McSweeney serving as its director from 2017 to 2020.

In an echo of his previous efforts in Lambeth, Mr. McSweeney pinpointed Sir Keir as the individual capable of steering Labour towards the center again, thereby restoring its prospects at the polls.

Sue Gray

Sir Keir's choice to name Sue Gray as his chief of staff sparked debate, primarily because of her previous involvement in probing the gatherings at Downing Street amid the COVID pandemic. Gray was among the nation's top civil servants before this appointment.

The Conservatives expressed strong disapproval, implying that the appointment cast her partygate report in a different light. Former cabinet minister Jacob Rees-Mogg argued that her investigation's findings now seemed like a biased maneuver favoring the left.

Ms. Gray officially became a member of the Labour Party last fall, during a period marked by internal disputes related to the party's management of the escalating conflict in Gaza.

Matthew Doyle

Matthew Doyle gained recognition during his tenure as a special adviser to the former Home Secretary, Lord Blunkett, and subsequently served as an adviser to Tony Blair towards the end of his time as Prime Minister.

He also served as the director of press and broadcasting, as well as the director of television media debates for Gordon Brown in the 2005 general election.

He rejoined the Labour Party as the temporary director of communications in June 2021, following the party's loss in the Hartlepool by-election. Subsequently, his position was made permanent.

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Deborah Mattinson

Deborah Mattinson, previously a pollster for Gordon Brown and co-founder of the consultancy known as Britain Thinks (recently renamed Thinks Insight and Strategy), was brought on board by Sir Keir following the Hartlepool by-election and a series of disappointing local election outcomes, where the party lost several pivotal councils, including Durham.

Ms. Mattinson, previously associated with a company that concentrated on focus group research, has urged the Labour Party to focus on persuading what they term "hero voters" – these are previous Labour supporters who supported Brexit, switched to the Conservative Party in 2019, but have since grown disenchanted with them.

After Labour's significant loss in the 2019 election, Ms. Mattinson authored a book called "Beyond The Red Wall," exploring why long-time Labour voters switched their allegiance to Boris Johnson and the possibility of winning them back.

Stuart Ingham

As the chief policy director, Stuart Ingham is tasked with overseeing the policy pledges outlined in the manifesto and providing counsel to Sir Keir on all matters related to policy.

Similar to Mr. McSweeney, Mr. Ingham was involved in Sir Keir's bid for Labour leadership, where he provided guidance on policy matters as well.

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Name: Paul Ovenden

Paul Ovenden, who previously worked as a newspaper journalist, became a part of the Labour Party's press team in 2014. He left the team during Jeremy Corbyn's tenure and currently holds the position of deputy director of communications and director of attack and rebuttal.

Mr. Ovenden took on the role of identifying potential stories and details that could harm the Conservative Party during the election period, while also protecting the Labour leader from any attacks, both political and personal, from adversaries.

Peter Hyman

Peter Hyman, who previously worked as an adviser and speechwriter for Tony Blair, currently provides guidance to Sir Keir Starmer on various policy matters, with a particular focus on education, his area of expertise.

Mr. Hyman serves as the co-director of Big Education, a charitable multi-academy trust that operates several schools throughout London. Additionally, he co-founded and leads School 21, a free school located in Stratford, East London.

Explore further: Get to know Victoria, the spouse of Sir Keir Starmer. The new cabinet: A look at the key figures in Starmer's leadership. Visual analysis: Labour's overwhelming victory through maps and charts.

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Jill Cuthbertson

Jill Cuthbertson serves as the private secretary to Sir Keir, overseeing his schedule and engagements. Previously, she performed identical duties for Ed Miliband and Gordon Brown.

Profile: Helene Reardon-Bond

Helene Reardon-Bond serves as the deputy chief of staff to Sir Keir, operating under Sue Gray's direction. Her duties included overseeing the party's readiness for assuming government responsibilities.

Similar to Ms. Gray, she boasts a considerable background in public service and has contributed to notable initiatives such as regulations for reporting the gender pay gap, the legalization of same-sex marriage, and efforts to eradicate violence against women and girls.

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