Anthony Browne leaves Policy Exchange to become Boris Johnson's Policy Director

Anthony Browne, Director of Policy Exchange for just eighteen months, is to step down and become Head of Policy for Boris Johnson.  During his time at PX there was a doubling of staff numbers but a concern that the think tank became too close to Project Cameron.

Boris Johnson has issued this statement:

"I am delighted that Anthony is joining my team at City Hall. As a policy expert in the fields of environment, health and politics for the influential Policy Exchange and a former journalist on the Times and Observer, I am sure Anthony will be a valuable asset in helping to shape London's future over the next four years".

And this from Anthony Browne himself:

“It is a real wrench to leave Policy Exchange, but the opportunity to develop policy for the first Conservative administration in London for over a quarter of a century was irresistible. I have lived in London for twenty years, and loved its extraordinary vibrancy and diversity from the day I moved here. It is the world’s greatest city, but we need to make sure that all Londoners can be part of its success. It is unacceptable that one of the world’s most affluent cities has such high unemployment, and such deep pockets of deprivation. I look forward to helping ensure that all Londoners are equipped to take advantage of the amazing opportunities it offers, and to help make London more liveable for all Londoners. I can think of no higher calling than trying to make the city I love more loveable for all who reside in it.”

Anthony Browne will be a real boost to Boris' office.  He is a considerable talent but in searching for his successor we'd like to re-emphasise these words from Tim Montgomerie in a recent piece for Comment is free: "PX's director Anthony Browne appeared on the Today programme a couple of weeks ago and sounded like a Tory Treasury spokesman. He peddled the modernisers' myth that tax cuts had lost the last few elections and wouldn't be potent now. Times have moved on, and PX will lose some of its usefulness to the party if it simply echoes the party line."

Policy Exchange recently lost its excellent Chief Economist, Dr Oliver Marc Hartwich, to Australia's Centre for Independent Studies.  Portland PR's respected James Bethell has replaced Steven King as Head of Communications.

Comments

[Westminster Wolf]

Browne and Guto Harri are positioning themselves for big jobs in a Cameron Downing Street.

[Alan S]

Coffee House is reporting James O'Shaughnessy as a candidate. Now head of Tory research he was head of research at Policy Exchange.

[Tory Bear]

I see no problem with that wolf?

[Westminster Wolf]

Nor do I Tory Bear but that's what is going on.

[Geoff]

On his blog Donal Blaney is mischievously putting our very own Tim forward as a candidate!

[James Carter]

So no agenda for the Mayoralty then. What a waste of time this is turning out to be.

[Letters From A Tory]

Boris surely can't have been planning this since day one?!

[Libertarian]

The Cameroons are running City Hall but do not trust anyone outside their pet think tank. They don't respect or even like the CPS, "Reform" or ASI. The Conservative Party is run by a self-serving clique of Blairites. They are Conservative in name only and have adopted the style, political correctness and social democratic policies of New Labour. Blue Labour, Blue danger!

[Alan S]

I second Libertarian. The cronyism of appointing mates is very worrying.

[Tim Reid]

Everyone is getting an early preview of the nothing agenda of Cameron & co.

These people are a complete waste of everyone's time.

[Libertarian]

I thank Alan S for his support.

Policy Exchange's domination of the senior appointments in Team Boris is more than cronyism. It is evidence of control freakery, bunker mentality, paranoia and closed minds UPON TAKING OFFICE!!!

Two months after taking office, there is no sign of any coherent agenda for transforming London. Boris had no vision when he won (probably to his own dismay) and is limited to obeying Cameroon instructions enforced by Boles and his Policy Exchange cronies.

It is not surprising that Boris has bunked off to the Med to escape his team of Policy Exchange minders. What does Dave have on Boris to be able to control him like this? And why would Boris give up Henley to be a puppet? His only consolation is that the Telegraph is paying him £250k to write his brainless pap.