Crosby steps back at Conservative lobbying firm as election looms

‘In my time at Downing Street whenever Sir Lynton Crosby spoke, we listened’

SIR LYNTON CROSBY, the architect of successive Conservative election victories, is stepping back as chief executive from his lobbying firm CT Group.

The Australian election strategist, nicknamed the “Wizard of Oz”, is moving away from front-line politics in the UK having previously spearheaded successful campaigns for Boris Johnson, Theresa May and David Cameron.

Sir Lynton served as an informal adviser for Mr Johnson during his time as prime minister and regularly attended meetings at Downing Street. His association with Mr Johnson goes back to 2012 when he masterminded his successful London mayoral campaign.

His campaigns were known for their intensity and rigour, with the first meeting of every day taking place at 5.45am before another at 6.30am.

A former Downing Street special adviser said: “In my time at No 10, whenever Lynton spoke, we listened.”

Sir Lynton was awarded a knighthood for services to politics in the 2016 new year honours. His decision to step back comes as Rishi Sunak faces the prospect of a bruising defeat in the general election, with the latest polling showing that the Conservatives are more than 20 points behind Sir Keir Starmer’s Labour Party.

Sir Lynton’s involvement in the Conservative Party has been diminished since Mr Johnson’s departure from Downing Street in July 2022, with his protégé Isaac Levido now running Mr Sunak’s election campaign. It is understood that CT, which recently opened offices in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Singapore, is looking to increasingly focus on commercial matters outside political campaigns.

Last month, the company hired General Sir Mark Carleton-smith, the former head of the British Army, who will work on “commercial opportunities” arising from the Aukus defence agreement between Australia, the UK and the US.

Sir Lynton, 67, founded CT Group in 2002 and his role advising Conservative parties in Britain, Canada and Australia formed part of his job.

He will become executive chairman of the group and oversee the board. It is understood it was Sir Lynton’s decision to become executive chairman.

Former EY partner Jon de Jager will take over as chief executive, running day-to-day operations. Sir Lynton said: “Initially focused on political campaigns, CT today employs over 150 staff from a wide range of professionals.”

Other employees at CT include David Canzini, formerly deputy chief of staff under Mr Johnson, while it also previously employed Mark Fullbrook, who co-founded CT’S British arm and went on to become Liz Truss’s chief of staff.

Mr De Jager said: “It is a privilege to be the first non-ct founder to have responsibility for driving the growth of CT Group.”