Who is Jonathan Powell, the PM’s new national security adviser? | Politics News

A look at Jonathan Powell’s CV shows that, on paper, he is more than qualified for the job of national security adviser.

An experienced government operator intimately involved in crafting the Good Friday Agreement and at the heart of many complex discussions over foreign policy during the New Labour years.

Indeed in 2014, David Cameron even brought him into government as a special envoy to Libya as the country was engulfed by violence.

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Who better – many will say – to advise the prime minister on domestic and foreign threats and work with the Whitehall security apparatus?

However, this appointment will provoke criticism.

While Mr Powell has spent sections of his career as an impartial civil servant, his time working with Sir Tony Blair as Downing Street chief of staff was an appointment made in a political capacity.

In that context, he can be seen as the most politically aligned figure to have taken this crucial job – when compared to previous holders, who all came from an exclusively civil service background.

That’s probably why the government has appointed Mr Powell in the capacity of a political special adviser rather than a civil servant – as all his predecessors were.

This has implications for how he does his job.

The Institute for Government (IfG) thinktank says it means he will only attend the National Security Council, rather than being a member of it.

His position also impacts which other roles he can oversee, with the IfG saying the intelligence agency heads and deputy national security adviser will need to report to the cabinet secretary, while Mr Powell will work directly for the prime minister.

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A party political row

There will likely be a party-political row as well with Tories already accusing Sir Keir Starmer of handing a plum job to a political ally.

It doesn’t help the prime minister’s case that similar rows have broken out in recent months over other government jobs.

One former Conservative aide pointed to the backlash from Labour politicians to Boris Johnson’s plans to appoint then Brexit negotiator Lord David Frost to the same job in 2020.

That would have also been a political role – but there are two crucial differences.

Firstly, unlike Mr Powell, Lord Frost had little relevant experience in national security.

Secondly, criticism didn’t just come from Labour – with former prime minister Baroness Theresa May also publicly voicing opposition to the move.

Mr Powell’s more recent career history may also provoke scorn from the opposition benches though.

Shortly after entering office, Sir Keir appointed him as special envoy for the negotiations over the Chagos Islands.

That eventually led to sovereignty over the strategically important cluster of islands being handed to Mauritius.

New shadow justice secretary Robert Jenrick posted online shortly after the announcement – “meet the new national security adviser, who trades away our national security to please the diplomatic elite”.

Some backlash may also come from within Labour too.

How will the left of the party feel that someone so closely involved in the decision to join the Iraq war is now advising the prime minister on matters of security?

Veteran left-wing Labour MP Diane Abbott has already branded Mr Powell’s appointment a “return of the Blairites”.

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Ministers will insist his career history proves he is the best person for the job, and that there are no restrictions on special advisers serving in this post.

After the very public fracas around former Downing Street chief of staff Sue Gray, the government will hope this back-office appointment will pass-off with less controversy.