Overview

• David Dinsmore will join the Cabinet Office as permanent secretary for communications in November, a newly created civil service role replacing Simon Baugh.
• Prime Minister Keir Starmer selected Dinsmore for his digital expertise and understanding of modern media challenges despite his tabloid background.
• Hillsborough families and Liverpool Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram have condemned the hire as deeply insensitive given The Sun’s discredited 1989 disaster coverage.
• Campaign groups, three Liverpool MPs and some senior Labour figures have written letters to Starmer urging him to reconsider the appointment due to past controversies.
• Government sources say Dinsmore’s mandate includes streamlining Whitehall messaging, expanding digital outreach and overseeing a new media unit focused on influencers and emerging platforms.