Is the Office of PM Beyond PR?

Is the Office of PM Beyond PR?

Author: BBC Radio 4 February 11, 2026 Duration: 26:47

Some jobs just can't be done. Circumstances, events and a changing world simply make them undoable.

This week, David Yelland and Simon Lewis ask whether one such job is communicating on behalf of the Prime Minister. Not just this Prime Minister, but any Prime Minister.

After only five months, the PM's Director of Communications, Tim Allan has quit. He's the fourth person to hold the role under Sir Keir Starmer.

The old levers of PR clearly aren't working and there seems to be a general bafflement has to how to get the public onboard.

Put simply, is Downing Street now beyond PR?

On the extended edition on BBC Sounds, how Buckingham Palace is rapidly changing its PR game. Widely criticised for being too slow to react to the scandal around Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, the Palace is going on the front foot - with two statements that would've been inconceivable just months ago.

Plus there's nothing like a formal letter from the Government to put you in the mood for love. That's the hope anyway. In France, all 29-year-olds are being written to - to remind them of their duty to have babies. As you might expect, there's been something of a backlash.

Producer: Duncan Middleton Editor: Sarah Teasdale Executive Producer: Eve Streeter Music by Eclectic Sounds A Raconteur Studios production for BBC Radio 4


Tune in to When It Hits the Fan for a masterclass in reputation management, hosted by two insiders who have lived through the pressure of the headlines. David Yelland, former editor of The Sun, and communications expert Simon Lewis, bring their unparalleled experience to this BBC Radio 4 podcast. Each week, they dissect the most spectacular public relations meltdowns making news, offering a rare glimpse into the frantic world of crisis managers and spin doctors. You’ll hear them trace the origins of a scandal, pinpointing the exact moment strategies began to unravel and public perception shifted. This isn't just commentary; it's a forensic breakdown of how modern media storms are weathered or worsened by those in charge. The analysis is grounded in real-world stakes, exploring the political and personal consequences of every misstep and recovery attempt. For anyone fascinated by the intersection of media, power, and human error, this podcast provides an essential and gripping narrative. Listening feels like being in the room for a candid, post-mortem between two veterans who understand the game better than most. Their conversations reveal the mechanics behind the news cycle, making sense of how stories explode and what happens when control is lost.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

When It Hits the Fan
Podcast Episodes
A Statement from the King [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 28:38
'Never complain, never explain.' Until recently, that could've been the unofficial motto for the Royal Family. Not anymore.David Yelland and Farzana Baduel discuss whether it was wise for Buckingham Palace to issue a sta…
How to PR the End of the World [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:38
When an interviewer's first question is whether your product could kill all humans, you know it's serious.This week, David Yelland and Lauren Beeching look at how the boss of Anthropic, Dario Amodei, handled himself foll…
The Power of Good Vibes [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 32:55
It's a feeling, it's something you can't quite put your finger on - but you know it when you see it.This week, David Yelland and Farzana Baduel are all about the vibes. The good ones. Whether it's at Downing Street or M&…
PR's Rich Tapestry [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 26:38
If PR is all about weaving great stories, then the Bayeux Tapestry might just be the perfect example.This week, David Yelland and Farzana Baduel celebrate the comms coup that was 1000 years in the making. The tapestry's…
Me Against the World [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 24:32
Whether you're a multimillionaire or the son of a King, sometimes it can still feel like everyone is out to get you.And so we turn to Nigel Farage and Prince Harry. Both are dealing with huge PR fallouts on which the dus…
Just Answer the Question [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:10
Public life would be an awful lot easier if you never had to answer questions from pesky journalists.Or would it?This week, David Yelland and Farzana Baduel look at Andy Burnham's decision to not take questions as he lau…
King Charles, Tax and Transparency [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 25:50
Declaring your tax isn't straightforward, as anyone's who ever filled out their own return will know.King Charles probably has someone to help with the scraps of paper and receipts - but he'll still have to deal with a h…
Social Media Ban: Big Tech's 'Tobacco Moment' [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:32
The public is against you, politicians are against you and the emotional argument has been well and truly lost.Which is exactly where the likes of TikTok, Instagram and X find themselves following the Prime Minister's an…
Hunter Biden: Back from the Brink [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:49
When you're routinely described as a crackhead and convicted felon who uses sex workers, it's fair to say your reputation can't get much worse.And so we turn to Hunter Biden. Often labelled the 'black sheep' of the Biden…
BP v 'Shouty' Albert [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:52
When PR becomes the story, you know you're in trouble.And that's where BP finds itself right now - as the dust begins to settle after a tumultuous week for the company. David Yelland and Lauren Beeching unpick the drama…