Could former Independent deputy editor Ian Birrell be on the verge of a permanent post in Downing Street?
Guido Fawkes thinks so. In his posting The Birrell bandwagon rolls on, he says a "well connected source" has speculated that Birrell could become David Cameron's chief-of-staff.
There is a strong endorsement for Birrell's entry into No 10 on the ConservativeHome site. If Cameron is looking to strengthen his operation then Birrell would be the obvious choice, writes Tim Montgomerie. He could explain what the government is doing.
"Because Cameron has a friendship with Birrell he'd be an insider... He'd speak truth to power immediately and everyone who engaged with him, from the outside, would know that he was speaking for the PM.
He's also good with words and could help Cameron to produce more memorable speeches."
Birrell's journalistic skills were on show in yesterday's Daily Telegraph, in an excellent piece about the success of a scheme to persuade rough sleepers to come off the streets.
