"Tim Allan once acknowledged that under Tony Blair's No 10 press operation it was a mistake that spin doctors became the story. Now he is returning to Downing Street more than 25 years later at the request of Keir Starmer, and will be hoping to avoid that destiny that so many political press chiefs from Alastair Campbell and Steve Hilton to Fiona Hill and Dominic Cummings have faced."
"A former deputy press secretary under Blair, Allan is a smooth and impeccably well-connected PR man, according to those who have worked with him. But he has a job on his hands to turn around Downing Street's faltering communications efforts, which are struggling to cut through against Nigel Farage's noisy populism. He will also have to deal with criticism over his previous clients."
"A friend of Allan's said it would be ministers, not the director of communications, who decided policy. Those who have worked with Allan, 55, believe he will have no problem riding out any criticism and getting on with what he has been hired to do: bringing some political communications heft into the room in the same way that another former Blair adviser, Jonathan Powell, has taken a lead on foreign affairs."
Tim Allan returns to Downing Street at Keir Starmer's request after more than 25 years and will lead communications for the prime minister. Allan served as a deputy press secretary under Tony Blair and is regarded as a well-connected PR professional. Downing Street communications are currently struggling to cut through against Nigel Farage's noisy populism, creating a significant task for Allan. His former company, Portland, faced criticism for taking work to improve the Kremlin's image, and his previous role as a trustee of Sex Matters provoked objections from Stonewall. Allies say ministers set policy and Allan can withstand criticism to add political communications heft.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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