Who could fill key No 10 vacancies – and win the battle for Starmer’s ear?

Everyone around PM agrees chaos' at No 10 has to be sorted, but there are competing factions trying to gain upper hand

With three vacancies opening up at the very top of Keir Starmer's operation, there is already a battle over who will win the war for his ear - and the direction of the government.

The departure of Starmer's most important political advisers: his chief of staff, Morgan McSweeney, who was focused on the fight against Reform in Labour's working class heartlands, and Tim Allan as director of communication, considered a Blairite, has immediately raised hopes on Labour's soft left of a shift in their favour.