The Daily Telegraph - Saturday
Sunak’s director of communications gives up her role after only 10 months in the job
RISHI SUNAK’S director of communications has unexpectedly left Downing Street just 10 months after joining his team, amid a wider No 10 shake-up.
Amber de Botton, a former political journalist with ITV News and Sky News, announced her departure on Twitter yesterday afternoon.
Ms De Botton said: “It has been an honour and a privilege to serve as the Prime Minister’s director of communications but I have decided it is the right time to move on. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the PM for his support and his leadership.
“The team he has built around him is dedicated and focused because those are the qualities he inspires. I also thank my colleagues. No10 is a demanding and high pressure place to work, yet the professionalism and talent they display every day is exceptional.”
Ms De Botton had been brought into Mr Sunak’s press operation as he sought more experience of television news.
Her journalistic experience came behind the camera, having been head of politics at ITV News and before that deputy head of politics at Sky News.
Mr Sunak’s Cabinet career has been notable for having a tight-knit group of advisers and aides who have continued with him from the Treasury into No 10.
Government insiders have previously privately noted how close a bond Mr Sunak has with his small long-standing team, a circle of trust into which new arrivals hope to gain entry.
Ms De Botton was a fresh addition to the team, stepping into the most senior Downing Street communications role last November.
News of her departure broke just a day after the Prime Minister conducted a mini-reshuffle ahead of MPs returning to Parliament next week, with Grant Shapps replacing Ben Wallace as Defence Secretary and Claire Coutinho becoming Energy Secretary.
There have been other No 10 changes this week. Jamie Njoku-Goodwin, a long-term Tory adviser turned chief executive at UK Music, is becoming Mr Sunak’s director of strategy.
Adam Atashzai, a former special adviser to David Cameron, has also been appointed to an adviser position based in the No10 political office.
Mr Sunak’s entire Downing Street operation faces pressure given the Conservatives are so far behind Labour in the opinion polls.
A rolling average of opinion polls from the Politico website has the Tories 19 percentage points behind Labour, a vast gap with the general election expected to be held in the autumn of next year.
That is better than when Mr Sunak took over after Liz Truss’s departure, when the Tories were 27 points behind, but the gap has remained stubbornly wide for most of this year after an initial narrowing.
Mr Sunak and his team have been preparing a new set of policies and political attacks for the autumn, with the countdown to the next election being closely watched in Westminster.