Meet Rishi’s new spokesperson: ITV’s UK head of news, mother-of-two Amber de Botton is Prime Minister Sunak’s new communications director – just months after she mocked him on Twitter
- Amber de Botton described as a ‘brilliant news editor’ by ITV editor Robert Peston
- High praise from Sky’s Beth Rigby, who called him a ‘talented political operator’
- Ms. De Botton scoffed at Mr. Sunak’s phone call on a staircase inside no. 11 last year
Rishi Sunak has hired ITV UK news chief Amber de Botton as communications director – just months after she mocked him on Twitter for his “weird” photocall on the ladder as chancellor.
Downing Street confirmed the new hire after it was announced on Twitter by ITV political editor Robert Peston.
He said the mother-of-two was a ‘brilliant editor and news reporter’ who will leave a ‘big hole at ITV News’.
The Durham University graduate also received high praise from Beth Rigby, political editor at Sky News, where Ms De Botton previously worked as Deputy Head of Politics.
Ms Rigby wrote: “She is a seriously talented news editor and political operator, now going to No 10 to run the Prime Minister’s communications strategy. They mean business.’
Unlike an impartial civil servant, as a special adviser, Mrs. De Botton will be able to give political advice to ministers, defend the government’s actions and criticize opposition parties.
Rishi Sunak has hired ITV UK head of news Amber de Botton (pictured) as his communications director
Unlike an impartial civil servant, as a special adviser, Mrs De Botton will be able to give political advice to ministers, defend the government’s actions and criticize opposition parties (Photo: PM Sunak)
ITV political editor Robert Peston said Ms De Botton was a ‘brilliant editor and news reporter’ who will leave a ‘huge hole in ITV News’.
Mr Sunak appointed former ITV News national editor Allegra Stratton as his director of strategic communications in 2020 when he was chancellor, before she was poached a few months later to become Boris Johnson’s communications spokeswoman television.
It was ITV that secured a video of Ms Stratton joking about a ‘fictitious party’ at a mock press conference days after an alleged rule-breaking Christmas party at Number 10. She resigned a day later.
In March 2021, Ms De Botton mocked a now infamous press photo which showed Mr Sunak, who was chancellor at the time, carrying his red ‘budget box’ at the top of the stairs inside No Downing Street. 11.
His Treasury team awkwardly gathered one after the other down the stairs as they all looked up from the camera.
In March 2021, Ms De Botton mocked a now infamous press photo which showed Mr Sunak, who was chancellor at the time, carrying his red ‘budget box’ at the top of the stairs inside No Downing Street. 11 (tweet in the picture).
Rishi Sunak stood at the top of the stairs of No. 11 along with his ministerial team in the strange photocall last year
The photo, which was released just moments before his speech to Parliament, was a marked departure from his official photo lineup from last year.
Many believed the photo was designed to hide the apparent height difference between a 5ft5 Mr Sunak and the other ministers, who had appeared in full force in a more traditional line-up photo a year earlier.
Mocking the phone call, Ms De Botton shared a meme on Twitter which showed the baby from The Labyrinth, starring David Bowie, looking at the film’s iconic set of escalators.
However, it was edited to make it look like the baby was looking at Mr Sunak and his Treasury team, mocking the perceived dystopian feel of the photo, leading Twitter users at the time to compare it to “something from a horror movie”.
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