"Powell's allies say his decision not to take forward discussions about the job the same role he undertook under Tony Blair's premiership from 1997 to 2007 was largely motivated by an intention to return to the mediation consultancy that he set up in 2011, with little interest in returning to a job he has already done. He is said to be weighing a departure from Downing Street at the end of the year, in what would represent another significant departure from the prime minister's senior team."
"They said any suggestion Powell had been offered the role of chief of staff was untrue. Powell is credited with playing a key role in shaping Starmer's policies on the world stage. The prime minister's efforts to build a relationship with Donald Trump and act as a self-styled bridge between the US and Europe are seen as one of the more successful elements of his tenure at No 10."
Jonathan Powell rejected overtures to become the prime minister's chief of staff after Morgan McSweeney's resignation. Powell prefers returning to the mediation consultancy he founded in 2011 and shows little interest in resuming the role he held under Tony Blair from 1997 to 2007. He is considering a departure from Downing Street at the end of the year, which would mark another senior-team exit. Downing Street denies Powell plans to step down and says he will remain national security adviser. Powell shaped Starmer's international strategy and advised against appointing Peter Mandelson as ambassador to Washington. Chris Wormald has stepped down as cabinet secretary amid the Mandelson controversy.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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