By GREG HEFFER, POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT Published: 11:02 BST, 8 October 2025 | Updated: 14:39 BST, 8 October 2025
Sir Keir Starmer has seen two more aides leave Downing Street as a shake-up of his No10 team continues.Muneera Lula and Carys Roberts have both quit as policy advisers to the Prime Minister, it has been revealed.Their exits are the latest in a string of recent departures from Downing Street as Sir Keir scrambles to get a grip on his troubled administration.Ms Lula had been one of Sir Keir's longest-serving policy advisers since she was poached from Angela Rayner's office in 2022.She was responsible for No10 policies on various issues; including women, equalities, culture, media, sport and social cohesion.Ms Roberts joined No10 following Labour's general election victory in July last year and was previously executive director of the IPPR think tank.She was reponsible for energy and climate policies in No10.John Bachelor, a former Treasury civil servant, is said to have joined No10's policy unit as part of the major overhaul.The No10 policy unit is being restructured into the three Government 'priorities' - the economy, public services and immigration, according to The Times.It follows the departure of Steph Driver, Sir Keir's director of communications, from Downing Street last month. Sir Keir Starmer has seen two more aides leave Downing Street as a shake-up of his No10 team continuesHer exit came shortly after No10 strategic communications director James Lyons dramatically announced he was leaving the role.Matthew Doyle, who was Sir Keir's previous director of communications, stood down in March.Tim Allan, a former aide to Tony Blair, has recently been brought in as No10's executive director of communications. In further turmoil, No10 was rocked last month when senior adviser Paul Ovenden quit over sexually explicit messages about veteran MP Diane Abbott.He stepped down as Director of Strategy after what No10 said were 'appalling and unacceptable' exchanges from 2017 were uncovered.At the beginning of September, Sir Keir attempted a 'reset' of his stuttering premiership with a slew of changes to his No10 team.This included appointing Cabinet minister Darren Jones to the newly-created role as Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister.But Sir Keir's move to 'phase two' of his administration was almost immediately derailed by Ms Rayner's resignation as deputy prime minister amid a furious tax row.The PM was then forced to sack Lord Peter Mandelson as Britain's ambassador to the US over his links to notorious paedophile Jeffrey Epstein. Who's in and who's out in Keir Starmer's No10 shake-up INDarren Jones - The former Treasury minister now holds the newly-created position as Chief Secretary to the PM.Minouche Shafik - The former deputy governor of the Bank of England has been drafted in as the PM's Chief Economic Adviser.Dan York-Smith - The top Treasury official moved to No10 as the PM's Principal Private Secretary (PPS).Tim Allan - The former adviser to Tony Blair, who went on to found the Portland public affairs agency, is the new Executive Director of Communications in Downing Street. Vidhya Alakeson - The PM's Deputy Chief of Staff is to take on an additional role overseeing policy and delivery in No10.OUTJames Lyons - The former journalist has quit as No10's strategic communications director after less than a year in the role.Nin Pandit - The former NHS England official is no longer the PM's PPS. But she is remaining in No10 to lead work on delivering the PM's key priorities.Paul Ovenden - Resigned as the No10 director of strategy after his explicit messages about senior MP Diane Abbott came to light.Muneera Lula - One of Sir Keir's longest-serving policy advisers has now left No10's policy unit.Carys Roberts - The former executive director of the IPPR think tank has also departed No10's policy unit.
