10 Downing Street - Prime Minister's Office

Prime Minister's Office

The Prime Minister's Office, for which the terms Downing Street and Number 10 are synonymous, lies within the 10 Downing Street building and is part of the Cabinet Office. It is staffed by a mix of career Civil Servants and Special Advisers. The highest ranking Civil Servant position is the Principal Private Secretary to the Prime Minister, currently Chris Martin; the most senior Special Adviser post is the Downing Street Chief of Staff, currently held by Edward Llewellyn. Though Number 10 is formally part of the Cabinet Office, it reports to the Cabinet Secretary, which is currently Sir Jeremy Heywood.

Pre-2001 organisation
  • The No. 10 Private Office (governmental relations and organisation of schedule and correspondence);
  • The No. 10 Press Office (press relations) - The press office has grown in significance as media attention on the PM has intensified. Thatcher's press officer Bernard Ingham was one of her most important advisors. Alastair Campbell's influence as Blair's press officer was even greater;
  • The No. 10 Policy Unit (advice on policy and aims);
  • The No. 10 Political Office (liaised with the PM's party and constituency);
  • The No. 10 Appointments Office.

The office was reorganised in 2001 into 3 directorates:

  • Policy and government
    Took over the functions of the Private office and policy unit. Prepares advice for the PM and coordinates development and implementation of policy across departments
  • Communication and strategy, contains 3 units:
    • Press office: responsible for relations with the media
    • Strategic communications unit
    • Research and information unit: provides factual information to No. 10
  • Government and political relations: Handles party/public relations

Changes were intended to strengthen the PM's office. However, some commentators have suggested that Blair's reforms have created something similar to a 'Prime Ministers' department. The reorganisation brought about the fusion of the old Prime Minister's Office and other Cabinet Office teams, with a number of units (including the Prime Minister's Strategy Unit) now report directly into the Prime Minister's Office. Since 2005, Number 10's Direct Communication Unit has not used its staff's real names on signed correspondence to MPs and members of the public; this is for security reasons.

However, the Institute for Government has written that the Cabinet Office (of which the Prime Minister's Office is a component) "is a long way from becoming a fully fledged premier's department", primarily based on the fact that the Prime Minister "largely lacks the direct policy responsibilities, either in statute or by convention under the Royal Prerogative, possessed by secretaries of state, who have substantial budgets voted to them by Parliament."

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