Starmer replacing top civil servant in No 10

Sir Keir Starmer is replacing the top civil servant in his No 10 team after less than a year.

Nin Pandit, Sir Keir’s principal private secretary, will take on a new post in September leading on the delivery of key priorities in No 10, it is understood.

The BBC reported that Sir Keir was understood to have concerns about her effectiveness in the role but a No 10 source pushed back, saying the Prime Minister retains trust and confidence in Ms Pandit.

The recruitment process for a new principal private secretary is under way.

Ms Pandit previously ran the Downing Street policy unit while Rishi Sunak was prime minister and before joining No 10 was chief of staff and lead policy advisor to the chief executive of NHS England.

It marks the third departure of a top aide from Sir Keir’s team in less than a year.

Ms Pandit’s appointment was announced in October.

It came amid the high-profile departure of Sue Gray as No 10 chief of staff.

After leaving, Ms Gray was set to take up a newly created role as “envoy to the nations and regions” after a break from Government but Number 10 announced a month later that she had decided not to take up the job.

In December, she was appointed to the Lords as Baroness Gray of Tottenham.

Sir Keir Starmer’s director of communications also left Downing Street in March after nine months in the job.