Mandelson’s former aid gets top No 10 job
Peter Mandelson’s former adviser is to join the staff at Downing Street, fuelling speculation that New Labour is courting spin doctoring once again.
Benjamin Wegg-Prosser, previously special advisor to the controversial mandarin, takes up the job of director of strategic communications at No 10 in the autumn.
Currently an executive for The Guardian Society section, he will replace Godric Smith, the prime minister’s official spokesman and a career civil servant.
Following the Phillis review into government communications and the resignation of Downing Street communications director Alistair Campbell in 2003, the government established greater transparency between the roles of special advisers and career civil servants.
As a result, Mr Campbell’s successor, David Hill, did not have the same powers over civil servants as he did, and instead headed the “political aspects” of Downing Street’s media strategy.
However, the Conservatives said today’s appointment signalled a return to Machiavellian spin doctoring in government.
The party’s leader in the Commons, Chris Grayling, said: “We seem to be back to where we started. The government is back to appointing its cronies to key positions in Downing Street.
“We thought they had learnt their lesson and had started to appoint civil servants to these roles.”
Tom Kelly’s role of prime minister’s official spokesman is unlikely to be affected by the new appointment.
Mr Wegg-Prosser was a researcher for Mr Mandelson when New Labour assumed power in 1997. He also worked for him when the ex-Hartlepool MP held the posts of minister without portfolio and trade and industry secretary.
