The head of the BBC’s political team at Westminster has been appointed to take over as Downing Street’s director of communications.

A BBC message to staff said Robbie Gibb had accepted the job advising the prime minister and would leave the corporation after 23 years. Downing Street also confirmed the news.

Gibb tweeted:



I am pleased to announce I will be leaving the BBC to join the Prime Minister, Theresa May, as her new Director of Communications — Robbie Gibb (@RobbieGibb) July 6, 2017

Gibb takes over from Katie Perrior, the previous director of communications, who quit before the election. The job was held by Craig Oliver and Andy Coulson under David Cameron. Gibb’s brother is Nick Gibb, the junior education minister.



Gibb, who edits the Daily and Sunday Politics programmes, was one of two senior BBC staffers up for the job. He saw off competition from James Landale, the diplomatic editor.

Landale tweeted that he was “asked if I would consider a job at No 10” but decided to not to apply

The corporation’s head of news, James Harding, said: Gibb had “deployed his renowned organisational skills, political acumen and editorial creativity” in his current job and in earlier roles such as deputy editor of Newsnight.

Harding said: “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.”

May’s press team has been short-staffed since Perrior left. The strained atmosphere at Downing Street before the election also led to the departure of May’s press secretary, Lizzie Loudon, though she has been replaced.



The director of communications, like the press secretary, is a political appointment, but involves less day-to-day contact with reporters and the media. Gibb’s post is more strategic.

May also has an official spokesman: James Slack, a former Daily Mail political editor. His is a civil service role, heading the No 10 press office, which includes the duty of conducting the regular lobby briefings for the media.

In the run-up to the election, May’s media campaign was led by joint chiefs of staff Fiona Hill and Nick Timothy, who were criticised for being “rude, abusive and childish”. Both have left and been replaced by former MP Gavin Barwell.