Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has appointed former Sun editor David Dinsmore as the government's new communications chief, sparking controversy due to his long tenure at Rupert Murdoch's News UK. Dinsmore will join the civil service as a permanent secretary for communications in the Cabinet Office in November, beating PR executive Tim Allan for the role.
Dinsmore, who served as chief operating officer of News UK, has faced criticism from campaign groups and some Labour figures over his association with the company's past controversies, including the phone-hacking scandal and Hillsborough coverage. Hacked Off described the appointment as a 'dangerous misjudgment and insult to the public', while three Liverpool MPs wrote to Starmer expressing concern.
Senior Labour women have also raised objections over Dinsmore's defence of publishing topless images on Page 3, which earned him a 'sexist of the year' award in 2014. As Sun editor, he was fined £1,000 for publishing a pixellated image that accidentally identified a sexual abuse victim.
Despite the backlash, government sources said Dinsmore impressed Starmer with his ideas on new media and reaching audiences directly. He will oversee a 'new media unit' and is expected to drive modernisation of government communications, which Downing Street has found unwieldy and ineffective.
Dinsmore's appointment has been viewed by some as a 'stop Farage' move, following a tradition of prime ministers hiring media figures. However, there are concerns about potential tensions with existing political communications directors unless his role is clearly defined.
