Vidhya Alakeson
Vidhya Alakeson | |
|---|---|
| Downing Street Chief of Staff | |
Acting | |
| Assumed office 8 February 2026 Serving with Jill Cuthbertson | |
| Prime Minister | Keir Starmer |
| Preceded by | Morgan McSweeney |
| Downing Street Deputy Chief of Staff | |
| Assumed office 6 October 2024 Serving with Jill Cuthbertson | |
| Prime Minister | Keir Starmer |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1976 (age 49) |
| Alma mater | University of Oxford London School of Economics (MSc) |
Vidhya Alakeson OBE (born 1976)[1] is a British political aide who has served as the acting Downing Street Chief of Staff alongside Jill Cuthbertson since February 2026, following the resignation of Morgan McSweeney[2]. She has served as Deputy Chief of Staff in the Starmer ministry since 2024.[3]
Biography
Vidhya Alakeson is of [British Sri Lankan| background.[4] She holds a degree in modern languages from the University of Oxford and an MSc from the London School of Economics. Alakeson worked at the United States Department of Health and Human Services in Washington D.C. from 2006-2010.[5] Alakeson joined the Resolution Foundation in January 2011, where she became deputy chief executive, and left in January 2014 to become Chief Executive of Power to Change.[6][7] When Keir Starmer was Leader of the Opposition, she was political director.[8] In this role she worked as a special adviser.[8]
In the 2021 Birthday Honours, Alakeson was awarded an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for services to social equality.[9] Until the 2024 United Kingdom general election, she was director of external relations for the Labour Party.[10][11] In October 2024, with the resignation of Sue Gray, she was promoted to deputy chief of staff by Morgan McSweeney.[12] She served alongside Jill Cuthbertson.[13]
On 8 February 2026, Alakeson was named joint acting Chief of Staff to the Prime Minister alongside Jill Cuthbertson, replacing McSweeney who had resigned following the Mandelson-Epstein scandal.[14]
References
- ^ "Vidhya Alakeson | EasternEye". easterneye. Archived from the original on 2025-04-02. Retrieved 2025-10-26.
- ^ Crerar, Pippa. "Starmer appoints new acting chiefs of staff". The Guardian. Retrieved 8 February 2026.
- ^ "Keir Starmer shuffles top team after Sue Gray quits as chief of staff". ITV News. 7 October 2024.
- ^ "A PM committed to South Asian Communities - Asian News from UK". 2024-07-27. Retrieved 2025-10-26.
- ^ "Vidhya Alakeson". The Young Foundation. Retrieved 2025-10-26.
- ^ "Vidhya Alakeson • Resolution Foundation". 2015-03-09. Archived from the original on 2025-09-07. Retrieved 2025-10-26.
- ^ Stacey, Kiran (8 February 2026). "Who are No 10's new power brokers after Morgan McSweeney's resignation?". The Guardian. Retrieved 8 February 2026.
- ^ a b Steerpike (2024-08-29). "Starmer's special advisers: a complete guide". The Spectator. Archived from the original on 2025-12-06. Retrieved 2025-10-26.
- ^ "Queen's Birthday Honours 2021 — The UK list in full". The Herald. 2021-06-11. Archived from the original on 2024-07-16. Retrieved 2025-10-26.
- ^ "Starmer's top team: key figures with influence in cabinet". www.ft.com. 5 July 2024. Archived from the original on 2025-02-10. Retrieved 2025-10-26.
- ^ "Sue Gray will take pay cut to £170k salary in new role". www.telegraph.co.uk. Archived from the original on 2024-12-28. Retrieved 2025-10-26.
- ^ PA; Britton, Paul (2024-10-06). "Sue Gray resigns as Downing Street chief of staff, PM announces". Manchester Evening News. Archived from the original on 2024-10-07. Retrieved 2025-09-18.
- ^ "Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer's chief of staff Sue Gray quits". BBC News. 2024-10-06. Archived from the original on 2025-01-03. Retrieved 2025-10-26.
- ^ "McSweeney quits as PM's chief of staff, saying he takes 'full responsibility' for advising Mandelson appointment". BBC News. 2026-02-08. Retrieved 2026-02-08.