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After it was announced several months ago that Boris Johnson was looking for a press secretary, Britain reeled at the possibility of a party-political hack – akin to the United States’ Kayleigh McEnany – becoming the new face of British politics. Never one to shy away from the spotlight, it was a surprise that Boris Johnson wanted a new face for his government.
But now that it has officially been confirmed that Boris is recruiting, who is going to be the new face of the government?
The betting companies are currently split between giving the shortest odds to established non-political journalists, such as Julie Etchingham, and prominent Conservative Party supporters, such as Tom Harwood or Darren Grimes.
At the moment, it is the latter who looks the most likely, a young Conservative media personality who will be shot to nationwide fame and instantly become one of the most recognisable faces in British politics. They would need to have significant experience of being a broadcaster and someone who is used to being grilled by the media, but also project and air of non-partisanship to add a neutral legitimacy to the government’s actions.
This means that they would likely look for someone who is not too well known already – the likes of Iain dale would likely be too established in the media for this role, although speaking on Twitter he appeared to suggest that the £100,000 salary would not be enough to tempt him into the hotseat.
Andrew Neil is another popular contender amongst the bookies, with decades of experience in the media and a prominent supporter of the Conservative Party. Admittedly he is far more used to grilling politicians than being grilled by the media himself, but with the BBC cutting his programme from its broadcasting the possibility of an even more prominent position could be tempting.
A far more rogue choice would be that of Julie Etchingham, who has been given relatively short odds by the bookies. The ITV broadcaster is a regular moderator at political debates and has been known to give Boris Johnson a rough time as an interviewer; her choice would represent a move towards the role being politically neutral, to act as a buffer between the government and media scrutiny. Admittedly, it is highly unlikely that such a pick would be made by Boris Johnson and Dominic Cummings.
Far more likely would be the less well-known Allegra Stratton, Rishi Sunak’s current director of communications. She has spent time working for the BBC and for ITV, with experience of dealing with the media and has been highly successful in her role with the Chancellor, who is currently the most popular member of the government. She is probably the most likely pick for the role.
Another current media pick could be Tom Bradby, the popular host of ITV News at 10. He certainly possesses the demeanour of a communications director, with a stour expression and a serious tone when delivering the news but would be unlikely to be a serious contender. Who would leave such a nice gig at ITV to be battered by the press lobby every week?
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The young Conservative media personalities on the bookie’s shortlists include Guido Fawkes writer and regular TV interviewee, Tom Harwood, and the baby faced Brexiteer, Darren Grimes.
Grimes shot to prominence working on the 2016 Brexit referendum, before winning a long legal battle against the electoral commission, but probably is too partisan for the role. Whilst Tom Harwood is likely a better fit, he has reportedly ruled himself out of the running, and after his recent Brexit biscuits promotion, probably does not offer the buffer against criticism that the government desire.
Whoever takes the role, they will likely be severely underpaid for the press heat that they will have to put up with, although will instantly become one of the UK’s most prominent political figures. The inevitable book deals will no doubt supplement their modest salary, providing the perfect platform for their own parliamentary career down the line.
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Calum Paton is a History and Politics student at the University of Warwick. His writing predominantly focuses on American and British politics. Twitter: @Paton_Calum
