The key to her success. Meet super-SPADs Fiona Hill and Nick Timothy, says
after leaking a briefing from May suggesting that the then education secretary Michael Gove had failed to act over alleged extremist Muslim plots to take over state schools in Birmingham. Field says that Hill was “trying to defend her political master”. In his book, Against the Grain, former minister of state at the Home Office Norman Baker says: “Fiona reflected her boss’s mood, magnified. She was also upset with Gove, who had referred publicly to her relationship with Charles Farr.” Farr is a former spy chief who ran the Of f i c e f o r S e c u r i t y a n d C o u n t e rTerrorism in the Home Office. Hill and Farr were together for two years after her divorce from T V exe c T i m Cunningham, whom she met when t hey bot h worked a t S ky. Af t e r leaving the Home Office Hill had a stint in lobbying as a director of Lexington Communications but stayed in touch with May. Despite this incident Timothy is regarded as the more fractious a nd out s poken of t he t wo. Baker says: “Nick expresses his real views as opposed to being tight-lipped. He was abrasive with No 10 when he was in the Home Office, which didn’t help, and so he didn’t think he’d get there. Of course he is delighted now that he has.”
The o t h e r b i g pre o c c upat i o n in Timothy’s life is Aston Villa, and he says: “Following football when it’s your local team teaches you an important lesson, which is that sometimes, things just don’t get any better.” He is also “evangelical about Graham Greene” because he writes about humanity and religion.
Hill knows about spor t too. She started out as a football writer on the Scottish Daily Record. “It was not an easy gig,” says Pascoe-Watson. “It speaks of her re s i l i e n c e and nononsense approach. I don’t think she was remotely interested in football but there was money in it.”
She went from there to The Scotsman and then Sky. Pascoe-Watson says: “She came to party conference and she got politics straight away. She discovered that she could make a difference and liked it. As a committed Conservative she wanted a policy role where she could play a part. She’s originally a press officer so knows about how the person she works for can be promoted in a successful way.”
He adds: “I don’t think Fi misses journalism for a second. She’s in a fascinating world where she can have direct impact at the very top, and getting things done is what makes her tick.”
A career in front-line politics is not AY is aware that her team are from a background that she wants to appeal to, and she heeds their advice. Hill’s Scottish connection is expected to play a part in May’s commitment to the Union, while Timothy’s family in Birmingham means that industry in the Midlands will not be ignored.
The PM fosters a culture of hard work, which suits these two “grafters with bags of energy”, says Pascoe-Watson.
“May isn’t interested in building a large network of fans and supporters. She is very practical in the sense of being interested in getting things done — and that suits Fi down to the ground. They are similar in that sense. My hunch is that they are not the types to pop champagne bottles and allow themselves a little dance. This is a more focused, businesslike approach — less showy.”
A political insider who knows Timothy says this works for him too: “I suspect he has some impatience with the shmoozy/networky side of things. My impression is he is someone who has never wanted to be popular in political c ircles or to work the champagne and canapé circuit. Instead he is very committed and serious about the potential of politics to change things for the better.”
Fi el d re c a l l s : “Aft er the Modern Slavery Act was passed Mrs May took me out to supper to thank me. It was the most brilliant proper behaviour and good manners. We had a lovely time but I was anxious that it shouldn’t become too much of a social occasion because I knew that she had a mega amount of security work to do when she went back. If you are working like that there are clearly limits to being a great social animal. It’s likely she will expect that of her staff too.”
Timothy and Hill’s own relationship is one of close collaboration. Another source says that they share a wicked sense of humour and can find funny sides to most things, which could be key to political survival in a stressful job.