Tim Allan | |
|---|---|
| Downing Street Director of Communications | |
| In office 3 September 2025 – 9 February 2026 | |
| Prime Minister | Keir Starmer |
| Preceded by | Steph Driver |
| Advisor toTony Blair | |
| In office 1992 to 1998 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Timothy Neil Allan |
| Party | Labour |
| Alma mater | Pembroke College, Cambridge INSEAD |
| Occupation | Public relations consultant |
Timothy Neil Allan is a Britishpublic relations consultant. He was an advisor toTony Blair from 1992 to 1998, and theDowning Street Director of Communications toKeir Starmer from 2025 to 2026.[1] He founded and managedPortland Communications, which he grew to be one of the United Kingdom's leadingpublic affairs consultancies.[2][3] He served as the chair of theYoung Foundation think tank between 2012 and 2016 and was a trustee of the gender critical organisationSex Matters from 2024 to 2025.
Allan was educated at theRoyal Grammar School, Guildford,Godalming College, andPembroke College, Cambridge.[4] He completed anMBA atINSEAD in 2000.[5]
Allan started his political career in 1992 as a researcher forTony Blair, who wasShadow Home Secretary. When Blair was elected asLeader of the Opposition in 1994, Allan became his deputy press secretary. Following the1997 general election, he became DeputyDirector of Communications at 10 Downing Street, reporting toAlastair Campbell.[2]
Between 1998 and 2001, he was director of corporate communications atBSkyB.[6]
In 2001 Allan founded public relations consultancy Portland Communications, which was launched as the result of a contract with Allan's boss, BSkyB chief executiveTony Ball.[6] In January 2012, MPTom Watson discovered that Portland Communications had tried to remove references to a client's brand of lager,Stella Artois, from thewife-beater disambiguation page in Wikipedia.[7][8] The beer had become known in the UK as "wife-beater", in part because of its high alcohol content, and perceived connection with binge drinking and aggression.[7][9][10] In April 2012, Allan sold a majority stake in Portland to media marketing companyOmnicom for an estimated £20 million.[6][3]
Allan served as chair of theYoung Foundation between 2012 and 2016.[11][12]
He served as board member of theanti-transgender advocacy organisationSex Matters from September 2024 up until his appointment asDowning Street Director of Communications in September 2025.[13][14] He resigned as Director of Communications on 9 February 2026, following the resignation of Chief of StaffMorgan McSweeney amid internal party pressures stemming from his involvement in recommending the appointment ofPeter Mandelson asBritish ambassador to the United States. Mandelson was dismissed from the post in September 2025 following the release of documents revealing the extent of histies to the convicted sex offenderJeffrey Epstein.[15]
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