James Slack

James Slack CBE[1] is the Prime Minister's Official Spokesperson and a former British journalist.[2] Previously Home Affairs editor of the Daily Mail, he was appointed political editor of the newspaper in October 2015 in succession to James Chapman, who had been appointed as spokesman for George Osborne, then Chancellor of the Exchequer.[3]

James Slack

CBE
Slack at Policy Exchange in 2011
Prime Minister's Official Spokesperson
Assumed office
10 February 2017
Prime MinisterTheresa May
Boris Johnson
Preceded byHelen Bower

At the Daily Mail, as Home Affairs editor, Slack was involved in the campaign to stop Gary McKinnon, who suffers from Asperger's Syndrome, from being extradited to the United States to face charges relating to computer hacking.[3][4][5]

Slack wrote the controversial "Enemies of the People" front-page article on 4 November 2016 which criticised senior judges in England's High Court of Justice who had made a decision the Daily Mail did not agree with.[6]

At the end of January 2017 it appeared that Slack was to be appointed as the Prime Minister's Official Spokesperson,[7][8] which was confirmed on 10 February 2017.[9] He remained in the post after Boris Johnson took over the government on 24 July 2019.[10]

Following the announcement that the current Downing Street Director of Communications Lee Cain has resigned from government and will leave at the end of December 2020, it has been confirmed that Slack will assume this position in the new year.[11]

References

  1. "Resignation Honours 2019" (PDF). gov.uk. Retrieved 23 December 2019.
  2. "Theresa May 'hires Daily Mail political editor as chief spokesman'". The Independent. 1 February 2017. Retrieved 26 February 2019.
  3. Ponsford, Dominic (30 October 2015). "Daily Mail's James Slack promoted to political editor – Alton and Oakeshott in talks about joining title". Press Gazette. Retrieved 31 January 2017.
  4. Ponsford, Dominic (17 October 2012). "Mum praises Daily Mail for 'non-stop' support as Gary McKinnon wins fight against extradition". Press Gazette. Retrieved 31 January 2017.
  5. Palmer, Ewan (16 October 2012). "Gary McKinnon Extradition Victory 'a Win for the Little Person'". International Business Times. Retrieved 31 January 2017.
  6. Stanton, John; Prescott, Craig (2018). Public Law. Oxford: Oxford University Press. p. 56, n. 83. ISBN 978-0192545527.
  7. McTague, Tom (31 January 2017). "Theresa May gets her Alastair Campbell". Politico. Retrieved 31 January 2017.
  8. Asthana, Anushka (31 January 2017). "Journalist James Slack tipped to become Theresa May's spokesman". The Guardian. Retrieved 31 January 2017.
  9. "James Slack will be the new Prime Minister's Official Spokesperson". H.M. Government. 10 February 2017. Retrieved 10 February 2017.
  10. "New U.K. Prime Minister Johnson Faces Same Old Brexit Problems". Bloomberg. 26 July 2019. Retrieved 27 July 2019. Johnson’s spokesman, James Slack, suggested there’s little point to talks unless the EU accepts that position [...]
  11. Blewett, Sam (13 November 2020). "Former Nottingham Post reporter to become Boris Johnson's communications director". Nottingham Post. Retrieved 14 November 2020.
Media offices
Preceded by
James Chapman
Political Editor of the Daily Mail
2015–2017
Succeeded by
Jason Groves
Government offices
Preceded by
Helen Bower
Prime Minister's Official Spokesperson
2017–present
Incumbent
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