Proposals for financial or language requirements will either split families or force them into dangerous journeys, says Refugee Council
Downing Street has also announced that Tim Allan, who worked as Alastair Campbell’s deputy in the early days of New Labour but who left No 10 to set up Portand, a PR company, is joining Keir Starmer’s team as the government’s executive director of communications.
This is from my colleague Pippa Crerar on the move.
Big shake up of the No 10 comms operation too.
Tim Allan, an adviser to Tony Blair who went on to fund PR giant Portland, coming in as executive director of govt comms.
A huge change in the arrival of Tim Allan of strategic communications weakness in govt. Also massively strengthens the arm of the more “New Labour” constituency close to PM. And gather there was unease in some quarters about how the existing number 10 communications set up would work with an overall government head of Comms in David Dinsmore. That won’t be such a problem for Tim Allan.
Interesting that it’s one Blairite in with T Allan and one out in the Downing Street pack shuffle as Liz Lloyd leaves.
This was a waste of an experience’d hire: but never quite grafted on to the Starmer vibe and vice versa. So the policy jobs remain in the penumbra of people who have been close to KS – and the overall comms will be run by someone who’s default setting is to aim for the centre or even the right of centre.
