Fact check: Claim about No 10 staff includes vacant and interim positions
The director of communications role is currently vacant, while the chief of staff role is being carried out on an acting basis.
Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch said during Prime Minister’s Questions on February 11 that Sir Keir Starmer has had “three Cabinet secretaries, four chiefs of staff, five directors of communications in just 18 months”.
Evaluation
Since coming into power in July 2024, Sir Keir has had two Cabinet secretaries, four chiefs of staff and four directors of communication.
Mrs Badenoch’s figures seem to include suggestions from the media that the current Cabinet secretary may be replaced soon, and includes the currently vacant role of director of communications.
The chief of staff role is being carried out by two people on an acting basis at the moment.
The facts
The current Cabinet secretary is Sir Chris Wormald, who is thought to be on his way out. There is further speculation that he could be replaced by Home Office permanent secretary Dame Antonia Romeo.
Before the appointment of Sir Chris in December 2024, Simon Case had been Cabinet secretary since September 2020.
As for the chief of staff role, Morgan McSweeney resigned from the job on February 8. It followed mounting pressure on Sir Keir over the appointment of Lord Peter Mandelson as ambassador to the US. Lord Mandelson’s communications with late US paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein were further revealed in recent files released by the US Department of Justice.
Mr McSweeney said in his resignation statement that he takes “full responsibility” for advising Sir Keir on the appointment.
The chief of staff role is being jointly covered on an acting basis by his former deputies Vidhya Alakeson and Jill Cuthbertson.
Mr McSweeney was appointed after Sue Gray resigned from the role in October 2024.
Meanwhile, Tim Allan announced on February 9 that he was resigning as Downing Street director of communications to allow a “new No 10 team to be built”. His replacement has not been announced.
In September 2025, Steph Driver and James Lyons both left the role of director of communications – they held the role jointly, with Driver focusing on the day-to-day while Lyons focused on strategy.
The pair had replaced Lord Matthew Doyle, who left in March 2025 after nine months in the role.
