James Slack

{{Short description|British journalist and government spokesman}}

{{Infobox officeholder

| name = James Slack

| honorific-suffix = {{post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|CBE}}

| image = James Slack at Policy Exchange - 2011 (6455166555) (cropped).jpg

| caption = Slack at Policy Exchange in 2011

| office = Downing Street Director of Communications

| primeminister = Boris Johnson

| term_start = 1 January 2021

| term_end = 19 March 2021

| predecessor = Lee Cain

| successor = Jack Doyle

| termstart1 = 10 February 2017

| office1 = Prime Minister's Official Spokesperson

| termend1 = 31 December 2020

| successor1 = Max Blain

| predecessor1 = Helen Bower

| primeminister1 = Theresa May
Boris Johnson

}}

James Slack {{post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|CBE}} is a British political advisor and journalist who served as Downing Street Director of Communications for Prime Minister Boris Johnson between January and March 2021.

Career

Previously home affairs editor of the Daily Mail, he was appointed political editor of the newspaper in October 2015 in succession to James Chapman, who had been appointed as spokesman for George Osborne, then Chancellor of the Exchequer.{{cite news|last=Ponsford|first=Dominic|url=http://www.pressgazette.co.uk/daily-mails-james-slack-promoted-to-political-editor-alton-and-oakeshott-in-talks-about-joining-title/|title=Daily Mail's James Slack promoted to political editor – Alton and Oakeshott in talks about joining title|work=Press Gazette|date=30 October 2015|accessdate=31 January 2017}}

At the Daily Mail, as home affairs editor, Slack was involved in the campaign to stop Gary McKinnon, who has Asperger syndrome, from being extradited to the United States to face charges relating to computer hacking.{{cite news|last=Ponsford|first=Dominic|url= http://www.pressgazette.co.uk/mum-praises-daily-mail-non-stop-support-gary-mckinnon-wins-fight-against-extradition|title=Mum praises Daily Mail for 'non-stop' support as Gary McKinnon wins fight against extradition|work=Press Gazette|date=17 October 2012|accessdate=31 January 2017}}{{cite news|last=Palmer|first=Ewan|url=http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/gary-mckinnon-extradition-janice-sharp-home-secretary-394885|title=Gary McKinnon Extradition Victory 'a Win for the Little Person'|work=International Business Times|date=16 October 2012|accessdate=31 January 2017}}

Slack wrote the controversial "Enemies of the People" front-page article on 4 November 2016 which criticised senior judges in England's High Court of Justice who had made a decision the Daily Mail did not agree with.{{cite book|last1=Stanton|first1=John|last2=Prescott|first2=Craig|year=2018|title=Public Law|place=Oxford|publisher=Oxford University Press|page=56, n. 83|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ue9IDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA56|isbn=978-0192545527}}

At the end of January 2017 it appeared that Slack was to be appointed as the Prime Minister's Official Spokesperson,{{cite news|last=McTague|first=Tom|url=http://www.politico.eu/article/theresa-may-gets-her-alastair-campbell/|title=Theresa May gets her Alastair Campbell|work=Politico|date=31 January 2017|accessdate=31 January 2017}}{{cite news|last=Asthana|first=Anushka|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2017/jan/31/journalist-james-slack-daily-mail-theresa-may-spokesman-no-10|title=Journalist James Slack tipped to become Theresa May's spokesman|work=The Guardian|date=31 January 2017|accessdate=31 January 2017}} which was confirmed on 10 February 2017.{{cite press release|url=https://www.gov.uk/government/news/prime-ministers-official-spokesperson-appointed-james-slack|title=James Slack will be the new Prime Minister's Official Spokesperson|publisher=GOV.UK|date=10 February 2017|accessdate=10 February 2017}} He remained in the post after Boris Johnson took over the government on 24 July 2019.{{cite web|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-07-26/new-u-k-prime-minister-johnson-faces-same-old-brexit-problems|title=New U.K. Prime Minister Johnson Faces Same Old Brexit Problems|website=Bloomberg|date=26 July 2019|accessdate=27 July 2019|quote=Johnson's spokesman, James Slack, suggested there's little point to talks unless the EU accepts that position [...]}}

Slack was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in Theresa May's resignation honours list for public service.{{cite web |title=Resignation Honours 2019 |url=https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/830277/Resignation-Honours-2019.pdf |website=gov.uk |accessdate=23 December 2019}}

Following the announcement that the then-Downing Street Director of Communications, Lee Cain, had resigned from government and would leave his post at the end of December 2020 it was confirmed that Slack would assume this position in the new year.{{Cite web|title=Max Blain will be the new Prime Minister's Official Spokesperson|url=https://www.gov.uk/government/news/max-blain-will-be-the-new-prime-ministers-official-spokesperson|access-date=2021-02-10|website=GOV.UK|language=en}}{{cite news |last1=Blewett |first1=Sam |title=Former Nottingham Post reporter to become Boris Johnson's communications director |url=https://www.nottinghampost.com/news/nottingham-news/former-nottingham-post-reporter-become-4698413 |accessdate=14 November 2020 |publisher=Nottingham Post |date=13 November 2020}}

In March 2021, it was announced that he was leaving Downing Street to join The Sun as deputy editor{{Cite news|url=https://www.cityam.com/boris-johnsons-director-of-comms-to-join-the-sun-as-deputy-editor-in-chief/|title=Boris Johnson's director of comms to join The Sun as deputy editor-in-chief|work=City A.M.|last=Godfrey|first=Hannah|date=19 March 2021|access-date=27 March 2021}} in succession to Keith Poole.{{Cite news|url=https://www.news.co.uk/2021/03/james-slack-appointed-deputy-editor-in-chief-the-sun/|title=James Slack appointed Deputy Editor-in-Chief, The Sun|work=News UK|date=19 March 2021|access-date=27 March 2021}} He was replaced as Director of Communications by Jack Doyle, a former Daily Mail associate editor for politics.{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2021/apr/20/no-10-press-briefings-plan-axed-as-stratton-moves-to-cop26-role|title=No 10 press briefings plan axed as Stratton moves to Cop26 role|work=The Guardian|last=Allegretti|first=Aubrey|date=20 April 2021|access-date=20 April 2021}}

On 13 January 2022, The Daily Telegraph reported on two parties alleged to have been held at 10 Downing Street in April 2021, on the eve of the funeral of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, when the UK was observing a period of national mourning following the Duke's death the previous week, and as England remained in step two lockdown restrictions, where people were only permitted to meet up outdoors. These were leaving events for Slack and for a photographer.{{Cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2022/01/13/two-parties-held-downing-street-queen-country-mourned-death/|title=Exclusive: Two parties held in Downing Street as Queen and country mourned death of Prince Philip|first1=Tony|last1=Diver|first2=Ben|last2=Riley-Smith|date=13 January 2022|accessdate=14 January 2022|work=The Telegraph}} The next day, Slack and Downing Street confirmed there was an event, with Slack apologising for what happened.{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/live/2022/jan/14/boris-johnsons-former-aide-james-slack-apologises-downing-street-party-covid-omicron|title=Former Covid taskforce head 'sorry' for holding Cabinet Office leaving party 'with drinks' in December 2020 – live|work=The Guardian|last=Ambrose|first=Tom|date=14 January 2022|access-date=14 January 2022}}