How to protect a Prime Minister episode artwork

EPISODE · Dec 12, 2025 · 35 MIN

How to protect a Prime Minister

from The Rundown by PoliticsHome · host PoliticsHome

With more leadership speculation swirling around Keir Starmer and claims he is seen as a ‘caretaker Prime Minister’, this week the podcast takes a look at things from the other end of the telescope; asking how do you protect the person in charge if you’re working inside Number 10? What can you do to defend your principal and neutralise any threats they face?Well to answer that three people who worked at the coalface in different Downing Street administrations and faced a litany of internal threats join host Alain Tolhurst. First up is Beatrice Timpson, who was deputy press secretary to two prime ministers, Liz Truss and then Rishi Sunak, and is now a director at Sanctuary Counsel.Alongside her is Guto Harri, who was Downing Street Director of Communications in the final year of Boris Johnson’s premiership, and also Paul Harrison, press secretary to Johnson’s predecessor Theresa May for three years, and now an Executive Director at Lexington.To sign up for our newsletters click herePresented by Alain Tolhurst, produced by Nick Hilton and edited by Ewan Cameron for Podot

With more leadership speculation swirling around Keir Starmer and claims he is seen as a ‘caretaker Prime Minister’, this week the podcast takes a look at things from the other end of the telescope; asking how do you protect the person in charge if you’re working inside Number 10? What can you do to defend your principal and neutralise any threats they face?Well to answer that three people who worked at the coalface in different Downing Street administrations and faced a litany of internal threats join host Alain Tolhurst. First up is Beatrice Timpson, who was deputy press secretary to two prime ministers, Liz Truss and then Rishi Sunak, and is now a director at Sanctuary Counsel.Alongside her is Guto Harri, who was Downing Street Director of Communications in the final year of Boris Johnson’s premiership, and also Paul Harrison, press secretary to Johnson’s predecessor Theresa May for three years, and now an Executive Director at Lexington.To sign up for our newsletters click herePresented by Alain Tolhurst, produced by Nick Hilton and edited by Ewan Cameron for Podot

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How to protect a Prime Minister

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This episode was published on December 12, 2025.

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With more leadership speculation swirling around Keir Starmer and claims he is seen as a ‘caretaker Prime Minister’, this week the podcast takes a look at things from the other end of the telescope; asking how do you protect the person in charge if...

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