The ‘Travolta of the Treasury’, the son of a best-selling author and the ex-George Osborne aide who is married to the boss of Next: The key figures in Team Rishi who are expected to follow the new PM into No10

• The new PM is expected to bring many of his former Treasury aides into No10
• Liam Booth-Smith, Nerissa Chesterfield and Cass Horowitz all tipped for top jobs
• Many in Team Rishi joined his leadership campaign after he quit as chancellor 

Rishi Sunak is set to move into No10 as he takes over from Liz Truss as Prime Minister today.

It is expected he will be joined by many of the aides and advisers who worked with him when he was chancellor and who went on to work on his Tory leadership campaign.

Here are the key figures in Team Rishi… 

Liam Booth-Smith:

The 35-year-old is tipped to take on the powerful position of No10’s chief of staff having performed a similar role when Mr Sunak was Chancellor.

He was dubbed the ‘Travolta of the Treasury’ during that time after being spotted wandering around Westminster in a black leather jacket – which drew comparisons with John Travolta’s style in Grease.

Mr Booth-Smith was brought up on a council estate by a single mother and ran a think-tank before becoming an adviser at the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, where Mr Sunak was previously a junior minister.

He entered No10 as a senior adviser to former PM Boris Johnson. But, when a joint No10 and No11 economic unit was formed, he worked closely with Mr Sunak.

He is one half of a Westminster power-couple after marrying Olivia Oates, a former aide to Levelling Up Secretary Simon Clarke.

Mr Booth-Smith ran Mr Sunak’s leadership campaign this summer.

Liam Booth-Smith, second from left, was dubbed the ‘Travolta of the Treasury’ during Mr Sunak’s time as chancellor after being spotted wandering around Westminster in a black leather jacket

Nerissa Chesterfield:

Mr Sunak’s long-time spin doctor worked for Vote Leave ahead of the EU referendum before becoming head of communications at the Institute of Economic Affairs think-tank.

She became a special adviser at the Department for International Trade before moving across to the Treasury when Mr Sunak became chancellor.

Ms Chesterfield was promoted when Allegra Stratton moved from Mr Sunak’s team to work for Mr Johnson in No10.

She is expected to take on a key communications role under the new PM, perhaps as press secretary.

Nerissa Chesterfield, seen with Rishi Sunak, is expected to take on a key communications role under the new PM, perhaps as press secretary

Cass Horowitz:

The son of author Anthony Horowitz is widely credited with the ‘Brand Rishi’ social media output that marked Mr Sunak’s time at the Treasury and his ‘Ready 4 Rishi’ leadership campaign.

He is the co-founder of a creative agency and previously worked on ITV’s Peston show, fronted by the channel’s political editor, where he worked with Ms Stratton.

Mr Sunak’s social media posts as chancellor attracted some criticism, as they often promoted Government announcement’s with the inclusion of his signature. 

A video to launch the new PM’s leadership campaign this summer was also branded too ‘slick’ and prompted suggestions Mr Sunak had been working on his bid for No 10 for a while.

Cass Horowitz is widely credited with the ‘Brand Rishi’ social media output that marked Mr Sunak’s time at the Treasury and his ‘Ready 4 Rishi’ leadership campaign

Eleanor Shawcross: 

George Osborne’s former deputy chief of staff went on to work for the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation after her boss left the Treasury following the EU referendum vote.

She returned to Westminster as chief of staff to Amber Rudd when she was Work and Pensions Secretary.

Ms Shawcross moved back to the Treasury as Mr Sunak’s director of policy and held the same role during the new PM’s leadership campaign.

She is married to Tory peer Lord Wolfson, the chief executive of High Street chain Next.

Eleanor Shawcross is George Osborne’s former deputy chief of staff who moved back to the Treasury as Mr Sunak’s director of policy

Douglas McNeill:

After working in the City, Mr McNeill joined No10 as a special economic adviser to Theresa May and remained in Downing Street when Mr Johnson took over as PM.

He then moved to the Treasury to work with Mr Sunak in the joint No10 and No11 economic unit and was a key member of the ex-chancellor’s leadership campaign this summer.

He wrote the costings for the Conservative manifesto ahead of the 2019 general election.

After working in the City, Douglas McNeill, second from right, joined No10 as a special economic adviser to Theresa May before moving to the Treasury to work with Mr Sunak

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