Keir Starmer's national security adviser, Jonathan Powell, has declined to take forward discussions about becoming the prime minister's chief of staff, following the resignation of Morgan McSweeney. Allies say Powell is considering leaving Downing Street at the end of the year.
Powell's decision is said to be driven by a wish to return to Inter-Mediate, the mediation consultancy he founded in 2011, with little interest in resuming a role he held under Tony Blair. Downing Street sources have firmly denied that Powell intends to step down, insisting he will continue as national security adviser and that suggestions he was offered the chief of staff post are untrue.
The former Blair aide has been credited with shaping Starmer's foreign policy, including efforts to cultivate a relationship with Donald Trump and act as a bridge between the US and Europe. He is also seen as a key liaison with the European coalition supporting Ukraine, and has been involved in the controversial decision over the Chagos Islands.
Powell's reported exit comes amid a continued Downing Street clear-out after the appointment of Peter Mandelson as ambassador to Washington. He strongly advised Starmer against the move, based on his experience of Mandelson's two cabinet resignations during the Blair government. His advice is expected to emerge in internal memos due to be published after a Commons vote.
Powell, a key architect of the 1998 Good Friday agreement, has a long record in conflict mediation. Through Inter-Mediate, he helped support negotiations to end the Basque conflict, served as peace adviser to Colombian president Juan Manuel Santos, and worked in Mozambique towards a landmark 2019 peace deal.
