No. 10 crisis as Rishi Sunak’s chief spin doctor quits after less than a year

Rishi Sunak’s comms chief Amber de Botton has sensationally quit No. 10 this afternoon, after less than a year in the job. Ms Botton tweeted out a statement saying it had been ‘an honour and a privilege to serve as the Prime Minister’s Director of Communications but I have decided it is the right time to move on’. She added: ‘I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Prime Minister for his support and his leadership. ‘The team he has built around him is dedicated and focused because those are the qualities he inspires. I also want to thank my colleagues – No10 is a demanding and high pressure place to work – yet the professionalism and talent they display every day is exceptional.’ The Downing Street operation appears to be at pains to emphasise Ms Botton’s departure is an amicable one, with Rishi Sunak saying he would ‘like to thank Amber for all her hard work over the past year’. ‘She brought with her top-level journalistic and management experience that has been invaluable. ‘She has led the team with calm professionalism and has been instrumental in ensuring consistency and creativity across Whitehall communications.’ Her departure serves to highlight what had been growing divides within No. 10, however, over strategy. Downing Street has been expected, for some weeks now, to be entering a feistier, more aggressive mode, not least in attacking Labour and Sir Keir Starmer. Yesterday it emerged Mr Sunak had appointed two new well known spinners to top jobs in No. 10 – former Matt Hancock aide Jamie Njoku-Goodwin and former David Cameron spinner Adam Atashzai. Mr Njoku-Goodwin’s appointment, a very well-regarded figure among the Westminster lobby of political journalists, was particularly awkward for Amber de Botton, and rumours she was not a fan of the decision. Mr Njoku-Goodwin is also a former housemate of Mr Sunak’s Chief of Staff, Liam Booth-Smith, again serving to emphasise the internal court politics of No. 10 and rivalries that often build within the small, cramped and factious office space. No. 10 will now hope to unleash a more brutal campaign of spinning and briefing against the Labour Party in the hope of shifting the polls. With party conference season in just one month’s time, and the start of the long General Election campaign, politics is set to heat up from now on, and Mr Sunak will hope the loss of his chief spin doctor who helped settle the ship after Liz Truss’ departure will help him get on the front foot. No. 10 is yet to announce Ms de Botton’s replacement as head of communications.