Starmer accused of pushing out some of last progressive allies in No 10 shake-up

Keir Starmer has been accused of pushing some of his last remaining progressive allies out of government, as he embarks on another shake-up of his Downing Street operation designed to empower his chief secretary, Darren Jones. The prime minister is overseeing a reorganisation of several key parts of his government, including the delivery and policy units, to refocus the policy work and give Jones more direct control of the machinery of government. The changes are part of an attempt by Starmer to regain the political initiative after a troubled first year in office, during which Labour has slumped in the polls and he has been accused of showing a lack of political vision. However, the moves have led to the departures of Carys Roberts and Muneera Lula, whom allies describe as two of the more leftwing members of the policy unit. Though both were offered jobs in the overhauled unit, friends say they felt their expertise would not be as highly valued after the changes. Recent appointments to that unit include Axel Heitmueller, a former senior associate at the Tony Blair Institute, while Harvey Redgrave, another TBI alumnus, has been put in day-to-day charge of the team. Toby Lloyd, a former adviser to Theresa May, is understood to be joining to advise on housing and infrastructure policy. The changes add to a sense of flux around the prime minister, with several of his longest-serving allies having left in recent weeks. They include Paul Ovenden, Starmer’s director of political strategy, and Steph Driver, who was head of communications. One special adviser said: “Carys and Muneera were the finest policy minds in that building, and understood exactly what Keir is trying to do. Their departure leaves an enormous hole, and people fear this is part of a wider pattern of a progressive clear-out.” Another senior aide said: “A lot of women are leaving Downing Street right now. And if you look at who is being brought in to replace them, it is quite a lot of centrist men.” Downing Street declined to comment. Allies of the prime minister say he has not abandoned his progressive ideals, pointing to his recent conference speech, during which he forcefully rebutted the arguments of Nigel Farage and Reform UK. They also denied that Downing Street was becoming increasingly male, saying that overall responsibility for the policy unit lies with Vidhya Alakeson, the prime minister’s deputy chief of staff and one of the most powerful figures in No 10. Starmer announced the first part of his internal reshuffle in September after a bruising summer during which he was accused of failing to respond to a series of anti-immigration announcements by the Reform leader, Nigel Farage. The move was designed to combat criticism that the government has lacked a unifying narrative, and instead had become embroiled in a series of costly political rows, leaving Labour lagging Reform in the polls by about seven points. The centrepiece of Starmer’s reorganisation was to move Jones, who had been chief secretary to the Treasury, into Downing Street in a newly created role as chief secretary to the prime minister. As a result Jones is now the only other minister to work inside No 10, and has become the prime minister’s right-hand man on a number of issues. One senior source said the reshuffle was designed to consolidate power in the hands of technocrats rather than political fixers, which has left “few recognisable progressives left in No 10”. However, allies of Jones point to his own progressive credentials, such as fighting for Amazon workers to be allowed to unionise when he was chair of the business select committee. Insiders say Jones wants to reorientate the government’s policy agenda around three main themes: the cost of living, the NHS and immigration. The policy unit is being reorganised into three similar “pillars”: the economy, public services, and communities and security. Minouche Shafik, the prime minister’s chief economic adviser, will head up the economy team, while Oli de Botton and Heitmueller will advise on public services. Redgrave will lead on communities and security. As a result of the changes there will no longer be a Downing Street adviser on equalities policy – a role Lula had been playing. Some aides also worry Starmer and the chancellor, Rachel Reeves, have become less interested in climate policy, choosing to prioritise reducing energy bills instead. Ed Miliband, the energy secretary, is expected to give the go-ahead this autumn for new drilling in the North Sea, and is under pressure from the Treasury to grant approvals for two new oilfields, Rosebank and Jackdaw. Ministers will also soon have to decide what to include in a new action plan to hit the UK’s carbon targets – decisions likely to be attacked by the Conservatives. Jones is also helping reshape Downing Street’s delivery unit and the Cabinet Office’s economic and domestic affairs secretariat, both of which are tasked with making sure the prime minister’s priorities actually get delivered. He is understood to want to create a bridging role between No 10 and the Cabinet Office so he can make sure Starmer’s wishes are being prioritised by the Whitehall machine.