David S. Muir | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1971-01-04)4 January 1971 (age 55) |
| Alma mater | University of Glasgow |
| Known for | Director of Political Strategy forGordon Brown |
David S. Muir (born 4 January 1971) is aScottish marketing andpolitical communications professional. He was Director of Political Strategy forBritish prime ministerGordon Brown between 2008 and 2010.
Muir was born in Falkirk and attended his local comprehensiveFalkirk High School. In 1988 attended theUniversity of Glasgow. In 1992 he graduated with a MA Hons 1st Class in Politics and Economics. He also won the Alistair Reid Prize for Politics for the outstanding study of politics and an ESU Scholarship to work with the US politicianByron Dorgan. He later graduated fromLondon Business School with aMaster of Business Administration.
In 1992 Muir joined the advertising agencyOgilvy & Mather, becoming New Business Director until taking a leave of absence to complete his MBA in 1999. In 2001 he returned to Ogilvy where he focussed on expanding the group through organic growth and acquisitions. In 2003 he wrote with Jon MillerThe Business of Brands, looking at how businesses could nurture and value their brands.
In 2005 he moved over toWPP to take over "The Channel" from Mandy Pooler.[1] There he helped develop WPP's research tool Brandz where he developed the BrandZ Top 100.[2] While at The Channel he also developed Sportz[3] which allows global brands to evaluate sponsorship opportunities.
In 2008 Muir left WPP to become the British prime minister,Gordon Brown's, Director of Political Strategy, replacingSpencer Livermore who had left[4] At Downing Street Muir was the Prime Ministers leading political adviser after Stephen Carter left. He along withKirsty McNeill developed Brown's "No time for a novice speech" at the 2008 Labour Party Conference which was "warmly received".[5][6]
Muir worked closely withPeter Mandelson andPhilip Gould on theLabour Party's2010 general election campaign. He was the lead negotiator of the historic British TV Election Debates and was an early proponent of them.[7]
He is believed to have argued for a hard edged attack on theConservatives and their threat to middle income earners.[8] In particular he pushed for the campaign to focus on the threat the Conservative's posed to child tax credits. It is also believed that he supported Gordon Brown's decision not to serve a full term.[9]
The campaign denied the Conservatives an overall majority and Muir was part of small team that spent the next five days in discussions with theLiberal Democrats. Muir left Downing Street when Gordon Brown resigned in May 2010.