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Nikki Da Costa is a British political advisor and activist. She was a special adviser serving as the director of legislative affairs in 10 Downing Street for two Prime Ministers: Theresa May from September 2017 until November 2018, [1] and again for Boris Johnson from July 2019 to August 2021. [2]
In 2017 she established the legislative affairs unit to deal with the Conservative’s lost majority, factional Conservative party and to balance securing withdrawal in law from the European Union and a domestic legislative programme. [3] She stated the unit “serves a strategic purpose: to nurture the prime minister’s political capital, anticipate legislative hurdles, and proactively manage the government’s agenda”. [3] Further sources state the Legislative Affairs Unit “was responsible for ‘building bridges with the parliamentary party’ and planning the legislative timetable” [4]
She was also active in negotiating through parliament the EU Withdrawal Act 2018 coordinating agreements within Whitehall and Parliament. [5] Additionally, da Costa was heavily cited in the High Court case regarding the prorogation of parliament in 2019, having provided written advice [6] to the then Prime Minister Boris Johnson that the prorogation should take place. [7] She was named one of the 100 most influential women in the UK by The House in 2020. [8]
Between her stints in Number 10, da Costa worked in public affairs, through the Cicero Group. [9] Since leaving No 10 she has worked as a specialist partner with Flint Global lobbying firm and now is Director of Legislative Affairs at Hogan Lovells. [10] She alongside Mercy Muroki was an unpaid "Policy Fellow" to the Minister for Women and Equalities, Kemi Badenoch for 2023–24. [11] She was involved in contesting the Scottish Government’s Gender Recognition Reform Bill, providing reasons for intervention to the UK Government.
Da Costa has occasionally written op-eds and other articles reflecting on her time in government and giving advice. She wrote in The Times in January 2022 regarding Partygate that Number 10 had "failed as a collective" to follow the COVID-19 lockdown standards it had set. [12] [13] [14]
She was the Conservative candidate in North East Hertfordshire at the 2024 general election. [15] [16] She was defeated by Labour's candidate Chris Hinchliff. [17] Most recently she has been active campaigning against the Assisted Dying Bill, arguing the private members bill process to be an insufficient method to legislate for the issue.
{{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)NORTH EAST HERTFORDSHIRE (147th safest): it seems Nikki Da Costa has been picked as Conservative candidate.
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