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Wales Online
Wales Online
National
Neil Shaw

Downing Street says more senior staff changes are to be announced

Downing Street said further personnel changes would be announced “in the coming days” as it was confirmed an aide seen as close to Carrie Johnson had left No 10.

Special adviser Henry Newman is returning to work for his former boss Michael Gove and has left in a “mutually agreed decision with the Prime Minister”.

The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said there would be further changes “in the coming days”.

“We still need to announce the new permanent secretary for No 10, for example. So there will be additional recruitment into No 10 and there’s an ongoing process for the PPS (principal private secretary) role too, so that needs to be announced.”

On the ministerial side, some of new chief of staff Stephen Barclay’s Cabinet Office role will be “shared among Cabinet Office ministers”.

It comes after five senior aides working in Downing Street quit last week.

Sir Keir Starmer said it is the person at the top of Government that needs to change, not just Boris Johnson’s inner circle.

His comment comes after the Prime Minister made changes to his Downing Street operation over the weekend, including appointing Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Steve Barclay to become his chief of staff, with more announcements expected.

The Labour leader, speaking to broadcasters in south London, said: “Look, we’ve been here before – this time last year we were told the Prime Minister had learned the lessons, putting a new team in place.

“Only a few weeks ago, we were told he was going to make changes and this was what was going to make the difference.

“I personally think that nothing will really change until the person at the top changes, because all routes lead to the Prime Minister, and that’s the change we really need to see now.”

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