Darren Jones has been moved from chief secretary to the Treasury to a new role as chief secretary to the prime minister, charged with day-to-day delivery of prime ministerial priorities. No 10 struggled over the summer on issues including the economy and migration and lags behind Reform UK in polling. James Murray will replace Jones as Rachel Reeves's deputy, promoted from exchequer secretary, with Dan Tomlinson filling Murray's previous role. The cabinet will remain intact and there will be no wider junior ministerial reshuffle for now. Minouche Shafik will become chief economic adviser. Tim Allan will join as executive director of government communications while James Lyons steps down and Steph Driver remains in post.
Darren Jones, the chief secretary to the Treasury, has been moved to a new senior role in Downing Street as Keir Starmer attempts to get a grip on delivery before what is likely to be a tumultuous autumn for the government, the Guardian understands. The senior MP, whose new title will be chief secretary to the prime minster, has been put in charge of day-to-day delivery of the prime minister's priorities after No 10 spent the summer struggling to get on the front foot on issues including the economy and migration, and lags behind Reform UK in the polls.
He will be replaced as Rachel Reeves's deputy by James Murray, who has been promoted from exchequer secretary, a more junior ministerial role at the Treasury. In turn, his role will be taken by Dan Tomlinson, the government's growth mission champion, as Starmer seeks to reward the new 2024 intake. However, there is not expected to be a wider reshuffle of the junior ministerial ranks at this point despite some reports, senior sources said, although Starmer will need to appoint a new homelessness minister after Rushanara Ali stood down this summer.
Downing Street is also expected to confirm that the former Bank of England deputy governor Minouche Shafik will become Starmer's chief economic adviser, as the government seeks to strengthen its efforts to bolster UK growth and productivity. The communications operation will also be shaken up with Tim Allan, an adviser to Tony Blair in No 10 who went on to fund the PR firm Portland, coming in as executive director of government communications. The political role is separate from that of David Dinsmore, who has been tasked with improving the civil service communications operation. James Lyons, Downing Street's director of communications for strategy, is stepping down. Steph Driver, his counterpart for day-to-day No 10 communications, who is close to Starmer, stays in post, answering to Allan.
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