Conservative MPs have privately been venting their anger at the appointment of a former Sky executive, who entered parliament in 2019, as the replacement for Munira Mirza as the head of No 10’s policy unit. MPs from northern “red wall” areas were particularly vehement about the promotion of Andrew Griffith, a former investment banker representing a safe Tory seat in West Sussex, to a key role in shaping new government ideas. “What does he know about real life?” asked one new northern Tory MP, who had not yet submitted a letter of no confidence in Boris Johnson but suggested Griffith’s arrival would “probably mean more letters”. Even one MP who spoke highly of Griffith said moving him to replace Mirza “shouldn’t have been done quite so quickly and brutally”. Griffith is – outwardly at least – a supporter of classic low-tax, deregulatory Conservatism whose appointment could mean a pivot away from the “culture wars” sometimes associated with Mirza. But while they acknowledge his business acumen, many of his colleagues doubt Griffith is sufficiently politically minded to do the job effectively.
Griffith, who became the MP for the safe seat of Arundel and South Downs in 2019 after two failed bids in Corby, grew up in the London suburb of Bromley before studying law and becoming a chartered accountant. After a stint at Rothschild investment bank, he joined Sky in 1999 and rose to the top of the broadcaster during its Murdoch years, becoming the group’s finance chief in 2008 and later chief operating officer. He was an early supporter of the leadership ambitions of Johnson, who used Griffith’s lavish Westminster townhouse as a base for plotting out his first 100 days in office. When Mirza was appointed to head up the policy unit in 2019, Griffith was made No 10’s chief business adviser, working to mend relations for a new prime minister who reputedly said “fuck business” when confronted with companies’ concerns over Brexit. In 2021, Johnson appointed Griffith as parliamentary private secretary, a role that acts as a conduit between MPs and government. Many MPs view him as having been partially responsible for the subsequent breakdown in relations between backbenchers and No 10, with one saying there had been a “resounding call from the backbenchers” to remove him from the position. Among those welcoming Griffith’s appointment this week was David Soskin, a former special adviser to John Major, who tweeted that the MP had “enjoyed a glittering career outside the bubble” and who “understood Conservative values”. “We now need a policy reset with a particular emphasis on deregulation, economic growth and tax reduction,” Soskin added. His tweet was “liked” by Griffith’s own account.