Jill Cuthbertson
Jill Cuthbertson | |
|---|---|
| Downing Street Chief of Staff | |
Acting | |
| In office 8 February 2026 – 20 July 2026 | |
| Prime Minister | Keir Starmer |
| Preceded by | Morgan McSweeney |
| Succeeded by | James Purnell |
| Downing Street Deputy Chief of Staff | |
| In office 6 October 2024 – 20 July 2026 | |
| Prime Minister | Keir Starmer |
| Succeeded by | Caroline Simpson |
| Personal details | |
| Alma mater | University of Stirling |
Jill Cuthbertson is a British political aide. She served as the acting Downing Street chief of staff alongside Vidhya Alakeson from February 2026 until July 2026, following the resignation of Morgan McSweeney.[1] She previously served as the deputy chief of staff.[2]
Biography
Cuthbertson began work in politics in September 2005, working in the European parliament for Stagiere.[3] She then became a parliamentary researcher in the House of Commons from April 2006.[3] From there, she began working for the Labour Party when she became the Office Manager to the General Secretary & General Election Coordinator.[3]
When Gordon Brown became Prime Minister, she began working as the Political Office Manager for him, as well as his personal assistant. She continued in a similar role with Ed Miliband when he was leader of the Opposition.[3][4] She worked for Cherie Blair.[5] When Brown was prime minister she was manager of his Political Office.[6] During the 2016 European Union membership referendum, she was events manager for the Britain Stronger in Europe campaign.[3][7]
Until the 2024 United Kingdom general election, she was director of the private office of Keir Starmer.[3][8] In the new Labour government she was appointed director of government relations.[9] In October 2024, with the resignation of Sue Gray, she was promoted to deputy chief of staff by Morgan McSweeney.[3][10]
On 8 February 2026, Cuthbertson was named joint acting Chief of Staff to the Prime Minister alongside Vidhya Alakeson, replacing McSweeney who had resigned following the Peter Mandelson-Jeffrey Epstein friendship scandal[11]
Personal life
Cuthbertson grew up in East Kilbride. She attended Claremont High School from 1994 to 2000, before going to the University of Stirling to study International Management Studies with French and Spanish language and culture.
She is married to Mo Hussein, a former special adviser to Home Secretary Amber Rudd.[12] They met while working on the Remain campaign.[13] They married in 2019.[14]
References
- ↑ Crerar, Pippa. "Starmer appoints new acting chiefs of staff". The Guardian. Retrieved 8 February 2026.
- ↑ "Keir Starmer shuffles top team after Sue Gray quits as chief of staff". ITV News. 7 October 2024.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Jill Cuthbertson Experience". Linkedin. Retrieved 21 July 2026.
- ↑ Stacey, Kiran (8 February 2026). "Who are No 10's new power brokers after Morgan McSweeney's resignation?". The Guardian. Retrieved 8 February 2026.
- ↑ McElvoy, Anne (2022-10-27). "'No complacency, just confidence' – how Labour is getting battle ready". The Standard. Retrieved 2025-09-18.
- ↑ "Starmer's special advisers: a complete guide". The Spectator. 2024-08-29. Retrieved 2025-09-18.
- ↑ Wearmouth, Rachel (2022-09-26). "The most influential people in Keir Starmer's Labour". New Statesman. Retrieved 2025-09-18.
- ↑ Pickard, Jim; Foster, Peter; Williams, Jennifer (2024-07-05). "Who will be the key figures in Keir Starmer's government?". Financial Times. Retrieved Sep 18, 2025.
- ↑ Bunn, Jonathan (2024-10-07). "How has the team in Number 10 changed and what are the potential implications?". The Standard. Retrieved 2025-09-18.
- ↑ PA; Britton, Paul (2024-10-06). "Sue Gray resigns as Downing Street chief of staff, PM announces". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 2025-09-18.
- ↑ "McSweeney quits as PM's chief of staff, saying he takes 'full responsibility' for advising Mandelson appointment". BBC News. 2026-02-08. Retrieved 2026-02-08.
- ↑ "Britain's political power couples — 2023 ranking". POLITICO. 2023-02-14. Retrieved 2025-09-18.
- ↑ "The Londoner: Fake news fears for snap election". The Standard. 2019-09-09. Retrieved 2025-09-18.
- ↑ "POLITICO London Playbook, presented by Wine Drinkers UK: Cradle of democracy — The lavender/Hill mob — Meet the new peers". POLITICO. 2019-09-10. Retrieved 2025-09-18.