Tim Allan | |
|---|---|
| Downing Street Director of Communications | |
| Assumed office 3 September 2025 | |
| Prime Minister | Keir Starmer |
| Preceded by | James Lyons and Steph Driver |
| Advisor to Tony Blair | |
| In office 1992 to 1998 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Timothy Neil Allan |
| Political party | Labour |
| Occupation | Public relations consultant |
Timothy Neil Allan is a public relations consultant and a former advisor to Tony Blair from 1992 to 1998. He founded and managed Portland Communications,which he grew to be one of the leading public affairs consultancies in London,England. He sold a majority stake in Portland in April 2012 to US marketing services company Omnicom for £20 million. In September 2025 he was appointed as Downing Street Director of Communications.
He was educated at the Royal Grammar School,Guildford,Godalming Sixth Form College,and Pembroke College,Cambridge (B.A.,1992). [1]
Allan started his political advisor role as a researcher for Tony Blair in opposition as shadow home secretary. He then became deputy press secretary for Blair when he became leader of the Labour Party in 1994. From 1997 he was deputy director of communications at 10 Downing Street,reporting to Alastair Campbell. [2] [3]
Between 1998 and 2001,he was director of corporate communications at BSkyB. [4]
Allan founded public relations consultancy Portland in 2001. The Guardian reported that the consultancy launched on the back of a contract from then BSkyB chief executive Tony Ball,who had previously been Allan's boss. [4] He grew the company to become one of the leading public affairs consultancies in London. [2] [5] In April 2012,Allan was reported to have sold a majority stake in Portland to media marketing company Omnicom,for an estimated £20 million. [5]
Allan served as chair of the Young Foundation between 2012 and 2016. [6] [7]
He also served as board member of the Sex Matters organization,a group opposing transgender rights in the United Kingdom,up until his appointment as executive director of government communications in September 2025. [8]
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