Overview
- The changes, confirmed in a letter from communications director Tim Allan, begin in the first week of January.
- The daily afternoon lobby is being scrapped and replaced with occasional afternoon ministerial press conferences and technical briefings in Number 9 Downing Street.
- Morning ministerial press conferences will sometimes set out the day’s announcements and, when held, will replace that day’s morning lobby briefing.
- Some press conferences will be open to sector journalists and content creators as well as accredited lobby reporters.
- Lobby chairs David Hughes and Lizzy Buchan condemned the lack of consultation and warned of reduced scrutiny, while Conservatives pledged to restore the afternoon lobby and the Liberal Democrats also criticized the plan.