The first week of Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership in September was reminiscent of a The Thick of It omnishambles. The Labour leader pulled out of scheduled media appearances, ran away from camera crews, was falsely accused of stealing sandwiches from war veterans and suffered the misfortune of having hacks eavesdrop his shadow cabinet deliberations.
Four months on and — although one could argue that his leadership remains chaotic — things have certainly improved. He now has a loyal team in place, his office is made up of a mix of those behind his leadership bid and trusted allies. Yet with a larger schism than ever existing between the PLP and the leader’s office, his closest allies are regarded with suspicion by many. So who are they — and how are they getting on?
Inner circle
Corbyn’s top team is made up of Seumas Milne, Kevin Slocombe, Anneliese Midgley and Simon Fletcher.
Kevin Slocombe — Head of Leader’s media
Slocombe was originally hired as Corbyn’s interim spokesman in September after the Labour leader experienced a difficult first week. At
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