Sir Keir Starmer's closest adviser Baroness Chapman moved to new position
- Published
Baroness Chapman is the former Labour MP for Darlington
Baroness Chapman is giving up her role as Sir Keir Starmer's political director in a shake-up of the Labour leader's backroom team, sources say.
The former MP - who was Labour's shadow Brexit minister - will now shadow Brexit minister Lord Frost.
She was blamed by some Labour MPs for the party's defeat in last month's Hartlepool by-election.
A Labour source said she had been moved as the party was seeking to use people where their abilities were strongest.
The source added that the move was not done on "whim" and the changes had been discussed over several weeks.
The former Darlington MP has been Sir Keir's closest adviser and ran his campaign to lead the Labour Party last year.
She faced criticism for her role in the decision to select a Remain-supporting candidate, former Stockton South MP Paul Williams, in Hartlepool, a town that voted strongly for Brexit.
Mr Williams - who like Baroness Chapman lost his North-East "red wall" seat in the 2019 general election - was imposed as the candidate by Sir Keir's team.
The move was supported by the local party executive in Hartlepool but some Labour supporters felt there should have been an open selection process.
In another move, Sir Keir's chief of staff, Morgan McSweeney, will take up a new role focussing on elections and campaigning.
Separately, both the director and deputy director of communications in the Labour leader's office are leaving for what they say are "personal reasons".
The timing of the departures, a source said, would allow for new appointments over the summer.
The "revamp" of the Labour leader's office - insiders say - was supposed to happen after next week's Batley and Spen by-election.
But details trickled out through leaks to the press.
For some time, Jenny Chapman had wanted a "front-facing" role in House of Lords, not a backroom role in which she didn't feel entirely comfortable.
I'm told Sir Keir Starmer persuaded her to hang on in his office until after Hartlepool and the English local elections.
But following a welter of severe criticism after the Hartlepool by-election defeat, she was all the keener to move.
Morgan McSweeney's friends were irritated that his move from chief of staff was portrayed by some as a removal from office.
They say both "thinking" and "campaigning" are ideally suited to him - he is not a natural administrator.
So square pegs in square holes.
His new role, sources say, is something he wants and he will remain influential.
There had also been criticism of the party's communications operation.
Although the director Ben Nunn and his deputy Paul Ovenden are leaving for personal reasons, and were well-liked, sources say there is now an opportunity for "new ideas" and "energy" to be brought to the leader's office.
It has faced a challenging time from MPs, media - and not least, voters - in recent weeks.