Darren Jones Effectively Sidelined from No10 Role After Seven Months
One of Sir Keir Starmer's senior aides has been effectively removed from his position at 10 Downing Street merely seven months after his appointment, as part of a significant restructuring of the Prime Minister's top team. Darren Jones, the MP for Bristol North West and a former Treasury minister, was named as Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister in September of last year, during Sir Keir's effort to realign his administration following the summer parliamentary recess.
Rapid Role Reversal and Government Sources' Insights
At the time of his appointment, Downing Street described the newly-created role as placing Mr Jones at the heart of government operations, marking a transition into what was termed 'phase two' of Sir Keir's premiership. However, it has now been revealed that Mr Jones has 'stepped back' and is spending considerably less time within No10.
A senior Government source disclosed to the Financial Times, "He's been turfed out of No10 to all intents and purposes - he's never there." Another insider commented, "It's almost like that job wasn't a great idea," highlighting the apparent misstep in the role's creation.
New Appointments and Shifting Dynamics
The newspaper further reported that Mr Jones's reduced involvement coincides with the rise of other key figures at the centre of Government. Notably, Antonia Romeo, who was appointed as the first female Cabinet Secretary and head of the civil service in February, and Vidhya Alakeson, the acting No10 chief of staff, have 'come to the fore' in recent weeks.
Allies of Mr Jones have clarified that there has been no falling out with Sir Keir, asserting that he is now concentrating on other aspects of his responsibilities rather than the day-to-day operational work within No10.
Background of Turmoil and Upcoming Changes
Dame Antonia's appointment followed Sir Keir's decision to remove Chris Wormald from the top Whitehall role, which involved a reported payout of approximately £250,000. This change occurred less than two weeks after Downing Street was thrown into chaos due to the dramatic resignation of Morgan McSweeney, Sir Keir's long-serving aide who quit as No10 chief of staff amidst the fallout from the damaging Peter Mandelson scandal.
Since their appointments, Dame Antonia and Ms Alakeson have received praise from Government colleagues for doing a 'great job.' However, further upheaval may be on the horizon, with the Prime Minister reportedly planning another 'reset' of his Downing Street team following next month's local elections.
Previous Reset Attempts and Broader Context
Sir Keir's attempted reboot of his administration in September, which included Mr Jones's appointment as Chief Secretary to the PM, lasted only a matter of days. On 5 September last year, Angela Rayner resigned as deputy Prime Minister following a heated tax dispute, prompting a frantic reshuffle of Cabinet ministers. Less than a week later, on 11 September, Sir Keir was compelled to dismiss Lord Mandelson as Britain's ambassador to the US over his connections to paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.
A Cabinet Office spokesperson stated, "As the Prime Minister and his Chief Secretary have made clear, delivering for the public requires fundamental reform of Government. Darren Jones set out his plan for this in a recent speech; rewiring the state to create more efficient and more convenient public services - and take on defenders of the status quo."
