PM’s new right-hand man is Remainer who lost seat

THERESA May’s new right-hand man Gavin Barwell is a staunch Remainer who the PM hopes will bring much-needed stability to No.10.

A former housing minister, he was one of the Tory MPs who lost their seats last week and to whom Mrs May eventually apologised.

His appointment as her new chief of staff on Saturday was largely welcomed by MPs – he is widely liked, in contrast to his predecessors. However, sources said Eurosceptics were ‘wary’ because he was a strong Remainer. Mr Barwell, pictured, appeared pleased that his home town of Croydon had voted to remain in the EU, tweeting at the time: ‘Proud that my home town and the great city of which it is part rejected the politics of hate and division yesterday.’

The former Croydon Central MP – who has written a book about how to win a marginal parlia- mentary seat – lost his to Labour’s Sarah Jones last week by more than 5,000 votes. He had clung on with a tiny 165-vote majority in 2015.

Mr Barwell, 45, was known as a campaigning MP on the moderate wing of the Conservatives, who was keen to improve the party’s popularity among ethnic minorities.

He was assistant whip in 2013 and has worked for the party since 1993.