Desperate Boris reveals fresh No10 team in bid to save premiership amid Partygate fallout

5 February 2022, 18:14 | Updated: 5 February 2022, 20:11

The PM has announced new members of his No10 team. Picture: Alamy

By Emma Soteriou

Boris Johnson has announced the latest additions to his team at No10 amid the ongoing Partygate fallout.

Loading audio...

It comes after the PM promised a shake-up earlier this week, following the publication of Sue Gray's Partygate report.

Mr Johnson said he made the staffing changes that will "improve how No 10 operates, strengthen the role of my Cabinet and backbench colleagues, and accelerate our defining mission to level up the country".

Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Steve Barclay will become the PM's chief of staff and will be "in charge of integrating the new Office of the Prime Minister and the Cabinet Office, driving the Government's agenda more efficiently and ensuring it is better aligned with the Cabinet and backbenchers", No10 said.

Boris Johnson promises to deliver on level up despite Gray report

Journalist Guto Harri is joining Downing Street as director of communications. He was Mr Johnson's spokesman and chief of staff during his first term as London mayor.

It follows the resignation of four members of staff at No10 - director of policy Munira Mirza, chief of staff Dan Rosenfield, principal private secretary Martin Reynolds and communications director Jack Doyl - who all stepped down within hours of each other on Thursday.

Mr Johnson said: "This week I promised change, so that we can get on with the job the British public elected us to do.

"We need to continue our recovery from the pandemic, help hundreds of thousands more people into work, and deliver our ambitious agenda to level up the entire country, improving people's opportunities regardless of where they're from.

"The changes I'm announcing to my senior team today will improve how No10 operates, strengthen the role of my Cabinet and backbench colleagues, and accelerate our defining mission to level up the country."

More announcements are expected in the coming days with what No10 said would be a "particular focus on improving engagement and liaison with MPs".

Following the announcement, Steve Barclay tweeted: "It is an honour to have been asked by the PM to serve as Chief of Staff for No10 Downing Street alongside my responsibilities in the Cabinet Office.

"I am looking forward to working with the PM, Ministers and Parliamentary colleagues on the issues that matter most to our country."

Deputy leader of the Labour Party Angela Rayner, who also shadows Steve Barclay, said: "Boris Johnson is panicking as he frantically rearranges deckchairs.

"The Prime Minister has clearly run out of serious people willing to serve under his chaotic and incompetent leadership, so now expects a Cabinet minister to be his chief of staff.

"This is a farce. Being No10 chief of staff is a 24/7 job so if Steve Barclay is taking it on as his third job then Tory MPs and the public can have no confidence that the dysfunction in Downing Street will come to an end.

"Steve Barclay's constituents and the public deserve more respect. So much for Boris Johnson's promise to get a grip, instead this is just a further collapse into chaos."