BBC politics boss Robbie Gibb named as Theresa May’s new head of communications to take back control of chaotic PR following election
The editor of the broadcaster's Daily and Sunday Politics programmes will leave the corporation after 23 years
BBC POLITICS chief Robbie Gibb has been announced as Theresa May's new head of communications.
The editor of the broadcaster's Daily and Sunday Politics programmes will leave the corporation after 23 years to go and work at No10.
Mr Gibb, who is the brother to schools minister Nick Gibb was up against another BBC heavyweight, James Lansdale, who said on Twitter he was approached for the role but decided to stay in his current job.
The new comms director was an adviser to Michael Portillo before joining the BBC.
He went on to work on Newsnight, On The Record, the BBC's Political Research Unit and the Daily Politics.
The BBC's head of news, James Harding, said in a statement: "Robbie has deployed his renowned organisational skills, political acumen and editorial creativity to the benefit of the BBC on countless occasions.
"Robbie always has an eye to the interests of our audiences, he has been an innovator in story-telling on television and an unrelenting advocate of the BBC, its independence and our public service role.
"The signal quality he and his programmes have shown is the willingness to speak truth to power - I suspect it will come in handy."
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He will replace Katie Perrior, who quit the post when Mrs May called the snap election in April.
She hit out at the PM's advisers Nick Timothy and Fiona Hill after the disastrous result which saw the Tories lose their majority.
The pair later quit after much criticism - and were replaced by Gavin Barwell, the MP for Croydon who lost his seat last month.
Ms Perrior is set to have a column in the times, and has returned to PR since leaving No10.
Her bio on LinkedIn now reads: "Most definitely no longer the Director of Communications to the Prime Minister."
