Alastair John Campbell is a British journalist, author, strategist, broadcaster, and activist, who is known for his political roles during Tony Blair's leadership of the Labour Party. Campbell worked as Blair's spokesman and campaign director in opposition (1994–1997), then as Downing Street Press Secretary, and as the Prime Minister's Official Spokesperson (1997–2000). He then became Downing Street's director of communications and spokesman for the Labour Party (2000–2003).
The Thick of It is a British comedy television series created, written and directed by Armando Iannucci that satirises the inner workings of British government. It was first broadcast for two short series on BBC Four in 2005, initially with a small cast focusing on a government minister, his advisers and their party's spin-doctor. The cast was significantly expanded for two hour-long specials to coincide with Christmas and Gordon Brown's appointment as prime minister in 2007, which saw new characters forming the opposition party added to the cast. These characters continued when the show switched channels to BBC Two for its third series in 2009. A fourth series about a coalition government was broadcast in 2012, with the last episode transmitted on 27 October 2012.
Peter Dougan Capaldi is a Scottish actor and director. He portrayed the twelfth incarnation of the Doctor in the science fiction series Doctor Who and Malcolm Tucker in The Thick of It, for which he received four British Academy Television Award nominations, winning Best Male Comedy Performance in 2010.
The Downing Street chief of staff is the most senior political appointee in the Office of the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, acting as a senior aide to the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. The holder of the office retains a highly powerful, non-ministerial position within His Majesty's Government.
Sir Thomas Whinfield Scholar is a British civil servant who served as Permanent Secretary to the Treasury from 2016 to 2022. He was previously the prime minister's adviser on European and global issues in the Cabinet Office from 2013 to 2016. He has been a director of the nationalised bank Northern Rock, and served as chief of staff for Gordon Brown.
Daniel Korski is a UK-based Danish political adviser and businessperson. He worked as deputy head of the Number 10 Policy Unit for David Cameron and served as a vice-president of the Jewish Leadership Council. He founded the business PUBLIC, which aims to support technology companies to secure public sector contracts.
Malcolm Tucker is the fictional antihero of the BBC political satire The Thick of It, portrayed by Peter Capaldi. He is the Director of Communications for his party in both Government and Opposition, acting as the Prime Minister's chief enforcer overseeing cabinet ministers. Tucker was originally a secondary character, with Chris Langham's Hugh Abbot as the protagonist being watched over by Tucker. However, after Langham left the series the show directed more attention towards Tucker and his dealings with the fictional Department of Social Affairs and Citizenship (DoSAC) – originally the Department of Social Affairs (DSA) in series 1 and 2 – which is portrayed as inept and incompetent. He is one of several characters from the series to appear in the film In the Loop, such as Tucker's deputy, Jamie McDonald, Senior Press Officer at No. 10.
The Downing Street Press Secretary is an adviser to the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom on news media and how to manage the image of the British government to the press. The position is part of the Prime Minister's Office and involves using information on what is happening in the UK and around the world, to decide on how the Prime Minister should present his or her reaction to the media. The incumbent also advises on how to handle news stories and other information which could affect the current Prime Minister or the Ministry.
Sir John Alexander Manzoni is a British senior civil servant and business executive, who served as chief executive of the civil service and the Cabinet Office Permanent Secretary from 2014 to 2020.
Fiona McLeod Hill, formerly known as Fiona Cunningham, is a British political adviser, business strategist and founder of Future Resilience Forum. She served as Joint Downing Street Chief of Staff supporting prime minister Theresa May, alongside Nick Timothy, until her resignation following the 2017 general election.
Katie Perrior is a British public relations specialist and columnist for The Times. She worked as a political advisor at 10 Downing Street under Theresa May and previously for Boris Johnson and David Davis.
James Marshall is a former Director of the Number 10 Policy Unit.
Lee Edward Cain is a British public relations professional and former journalist who served as Downing Street Director of Communications under Boris Johnson from July 2019 until the end of 2020.
Mark Stephen Fullbrook is a British political strategist and lobbyist who was Downing Street Chief of Staff from September to October 2022.
The October 2022 Conservative Party leadership election was triggered by Liz Truss's announcement that she would resign as Leader of the Conservative Party and Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, amid an economic and political crisis.
Nerissa Chesterfield is a British political aide who served as Downing Street Director of Communications from September 2023 to July 2024. She previously served as Downing Street Press Secretary under Prime Minister Rishi Sunak from October 2022.
Ruth Oates Porter, Baroness Porter of Fulwood is a British life peer and former political adviser who served as Downing Street Deputy Chief of Staff under Prime Minister Liz Truss from September to October 2022. She previously worked as a special adviser in various government departments.
Will Tanner is a former British political adviser who most recently served as Deputy Chief of Staff to the former Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak.
Blair & Brown: The New Labour Revolution is a 2021 BBC documentary about New Labour and the premierships of Tony Blair and Gordon Brown. The series explores the events that took place during their respective tenures as prime minister, and their impact on British politics. Leading politicians connected to Blair and Brown appeared on the programme, including Peter Mandelson, Ed Balls and Alastair Campbell.
