Starmer picks Blair aide Powell as security adviser

Sir Keir Starmer has appointed Tony Blair's erstwhile main of unit arsenic his nationalist information adviser.

Veteran diplomat Jonathan Powell volition statesman the relation adjacent month, it is understood, taking implicit from Sir Tim Barrow, who has held the relation since September 2022.

Mr Powell, who was No 10 main of unit betwixt 1997 to 2007, played a cardinal relation successful brokering the 1998 Good Friday bid woody successful Northern Ireland.

The assignment comes astatine a important time, fixed conflicts successful the Middle East and Ukraine, and Donald Trump's instrumentality to the White House successful January.

Sir Keir said Mr Powell's acquisition made him "uniquely qualified" to counsel ministers connected planetary information challenges.

After leaving Downing Street, Mr Powell has led a UK-based foundation moving connected planetary conflicts and was made UK envoy to Libya successful 2014 nether erstwhile Conservative premier curate David Cameron.

Sir Keir brought him successful to pb negotiations implicit the recently-announced deal to cede sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius.

The agreement, which ministers person said they privation to ratify adjacent year, has faced a backlash from respective elder Conservative MPs.