Steph Driver quits No. 10 as Starmer reshapes communications team
Keir Starmer’s director of communications leaves Downing Street amid a broader shake-up, following the departure of James Lyons; Tim Allan named new executive director of communications.
Steph Driver, the director of communications for Prime Minister Keir Starmer, has left Downing Street as part of a wider shake-up of the prime minister’s team, according to people familiar with the matter. Driver, who had worked for Starmer for five years in opposition before joining him in Downing Street, confirmed she was leaving amid the ongoing leadership reshuffle.
The development comes after the earlier exit this month of James Lyons, who stepped away from his role as strategic communications director after less than a year in the job. Tim Allan, a former aide to Tony Blair, was brought in to serve as executive director of communications in Lyons’s place.
In remarks reported by the Guardian, Sir Keir Starmer praised Driver for her "leading role in transforming the Labour party and delivering our historic general election win" and said he would be forever grateful for her calm, wise counsel, leadership and humour. The Labour leader added that Driver had set a high standard for the No. 10 press team and wished her well in her future endeavors.
Driver herself said it had been an honour to work with and advise Starmer through opposition and into government. She noted that rebuilding and rebranding the Labour party ahead of the historic general election victory had been a singular experience, and she expressed pride in what the government had delivered so far. She thanked the No. 10 press team for their hard work and support, and she thanked the prime minister for his continued faith in her and for his offer of an open door in the future, adding that her support for his Labour government remained unwavering.
The departure marks the latest in a series of personnel changes within Downing Street’s communications operation as Labour seeks to consolidate its message after securing a general election win. The shake-up follows Lyons’s exit earlier in September and signals a refreshed leadership core for Starmer as the government faces a busy legislative agenda.