Who is Morgan McSweeney? The Labour election guru replacing Sue Gray as chief of staff

Your help helps us to inform the story

Discover out extraShut

Our mission is to ship unbiased, fact-based reporting that holds energy to account and exposes the reality.

Whether or not $5 or $50, each contribution counts.

Assist us to ship journalism with out an agenda.

Labour election guru Morgan McSweeney will take over as Sir Keir Starmer’s chief of employees after Sue Grey give up, citing fears she was “changing into a distraction” to the federal government.

The ‘Partygate’ report writer has been a high-profile determine in Sir Keir’s high group since she was appointed whereas Labour was in opposition final 12 months.

Nevertheless, in current weeks Sir Keir’s Downing Road operation has been tormented by studies of infighting, and rows over Ms Grey’s £170,000 wage dominated headlines.

Ms Grey’s departure on Sunday triggered a wider reshuffle of Quantity 10. She shall be changed as chief of employees by Mr McSweeney, one of many key figures in Labour’s election marketing campaign who’s reported to have clashed with Ms Grey.

As Labour election guru and one in every of Sir Keir’s closest aides, Mr McSweeney has enormous affect inside the get together and was credited with Labour’s landslide common election victory earlier this 12 months.

However who precisely is Morgan McSweeney?

Early profession within the Labour Celebration

Mr McSweeney, 47, grew up in Macroom in County Cork, Eire. He joined the Labour Celebration in 1997 the place he labored on the get together’s assault and rebuttal unit in Millbank.

Former cupboard minister Alan Milburn employed Mr McSweeney in a key organising position for marginal seats within the 2005 election.

He then campaigned for then-Lambeth council chief Steve Reed, the place he sought to take again management of the council from the Conservatives and Lib Dems. He labored as chief of employees for Mr Reed at Lambeth Council.

Following Labour’s defeat within the 2010 election, Mr McSweeney grew to become head of the Labour Group Workplace on the Native Authorities Affiliation.

Labour Collectively

Mr Reed and Mr McSweeney caught collectively and later shaped the Labour Collectively suppose tank in 2017. He was appointed director of the influential coverage group with the first intention of “to maneuver the Labour get together from the arduous left” and plot to interchange then-leader Jeremy Corbyn.

He has been credited with Sir Keir’s rise to energy inside the get together and shifting it again to the centre.

As a part of his technique, he additionally centered on lowering the recognition of left-wing views inside the get together – concepts popularised by Mr Corbyn.

Sir Keir Starmer’s workplace

When Mr McSweeney arrived within the chief of the opposition’s workplace after Sir Keir’s management victory in 2020, he ensured supporters of Mr Corbyn had been faraway from each lever of energy contained in the get together. He was rapidly chosen as Sir Keir’s chief of employees.

He additionally arrange the Heart for Countering Digital Hate throughout this time, initially designed to focus on antisemitism, which had grow to be an enormous drawback for the get together.

Labour director of campaigns

Mr McSweeney was appointed as Labour’s director of campaigns in September 2021. The Occasions beforehand reported “those that query his authority inevitably discover Starmer sides with McSweeney”.

Kevan Jones, the previous MP for North Durham, beforehand informed The Monetary Occasions: “Morgan is a pushed particular person who ruffles feathers and isn’t everybody’s cup of tea however he will get the job achieved. The outcomes communicate for themselves, he is aware of what he’s doing no matter individuals consider him.”

In the course of the common election marketing campaign, Mr McSweeney labored intently with Pat McFadden, who was election co-ordinator.

Labour’s head of political technique

After Labour’s victory within the 2024 common election, Mr McSweeney was appointed the top of political technique alongside Paul Ovenden.

A number of newspapers have described tensions between Ms Grey and Mr McSweeney, and The Guardian beforehand reported that one unnamed cupboard minister stated: “One or each of them must go. It’s not going to be Morgan.”

Following Ms Grey’s resignation on Sunday, he was appointed Downing Road chief of employees. Vidhya Alakeson and Jill Cuthbertson had been appointed as his deputies.