Steph Driver quits No.10 as Starmer reshapes comms team

London — Keir Starmer's director of communications Steph Driver has left No.10, the Labour leader's office confirmed Friday, as part of a broader reshuffle of the prime minister's communications team.

Driver, who worked for Starmer for five years in opposition before joining him in Downing Street, said she was leaving amid the PM's team refresh. Earlier this month, No.10 announced that James Lyons had stepped down as strategic communications director after less than a year in the role, with Tim Allan, a former aide to Tony Blair, brought in as executive director of communications in his place.

In remarks reported by the Guardian, Starmer praised Driver for her "leading role in transforming the Labour party and delivering our historic general election win." Driver herself said it had been an honor to work with and advise Starmer, adding that helping rebuild and rebrand Labour ahead of the election was an unprecedented experience, and expressing pride in what the government has already delivered. She thanked the No.10 press team for their hard work and support, and told the prime minister she remained grateful for his ongoing trust and his offer of an open door in the future.

Driver, who started working with Starmer in opposition and continued in Downing Street, confirmed her departure as the prime minister reshapes his communications operation. The latest move comes after Lyons’s exit earlier this month and the appointment of Allan, who is tasked with steering the government's messaging strategy through a period of heightened political scrutiny. The shake-up highlights the continuing changes within No.10 as Labour seeks to consolidate its general election win while managing day-to-day communications in a crowded news cycle.

The personnel shifts come amid a climate of intense media scrutiny and policy pressure facing the government. Observers have noted that the communications team, including the role of the director of communications, is central to shaping the administration's public messaging and tackling rapid-fire political developments. Keir Starmer has sought to project stability and unity within his leadership while a rotating set of aides navigates the demands of daily political communication. The departures, including Driver's, mark another chapter in the ongoing reassessment of No.10's strategic communications capacity.