Will Tanner
{{Short description|British Conservative politician}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2024}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Will Tanner
| honorific_suffix = {{Post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|CBE}}
| image =
| caption =
| office1 = Deputy Chief of Staff Number 10
| primeminister1 = Rishi Sunak
| term_start1 = November 2022
| term_end1 = July 2024
| office2 = Director of Onward
| term_start2 = May 2018
| term_end2 = November 2022
| birth_name =
| birth_place =
| birth_date =
| party = Conservative
| spouse = Lizzie Loudon{{cite news |title=Westminster power couples — Valentine’s Day 2020 edition |url=https://www.politico.eu/article/westminster-power-couples-valentines-day-2020-edition/ |access-date=24 June 2024 |work=POLITICO |date=14 February 2020}}
| children =
}}
William Tanner {{Post-nominals|country=GBR|CBE|size=100%}} is a former British political adviser who most recently served as Deputy Chief of Staff to the former Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak.{{Cite news |last=Mason |first=Rowena |date=2023-09-21 |title=Who’s who in No 10? The team shaping Sunak’s approach to next election |url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2023/sep/21/whos-who-in-no-10-the-team-shaping-sunaks-approach-to-next-election |access-date=2024-05-18 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}
Career
Tanner served as one of Theresa May's special advisers from 2014 whilst she was Home Secretary and then when she was Prime Minister from 2016, until leaving in 2017 after the general election.{{Cite web |last=Hayward |first=Freddie |date=2023-09-30 |title=Inside Sunak’s No 10 |url=https://www.newstatesman.com/the-weekend-report/2023/09/inside-rishi-sunaks-no-10-government |access-date=2024-05-18 |website=New Statesman |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |date=2020-06-24 |title=Leadership changes at Home Office & DfT as Mark Sedwill named Theresa May's top security adviser |url=https://www.civilserviceworld.com/professions/article/leadership-changes-at-home-office-dft-as-mark-sedwill-named-theresa-mays-top-security-adviser |access-date=2024-05-18 |website=Civil Service World |language=en}}
Tanner then worked for Portland Communications as a political adviser for a year,{{Cite web |last=Portland |date=2017-09-01 |title=Portland appoints three former Downing Street advisers to its corporate team |url=https://portland-communications.com/portland-news/portland-appoints-three-former-downing-street-advisers-to-its-corporate-team/ |access-date=2024-05-18 |website=Portland |language=en}} before becoming in May 2018 the co-founder and initial director of the think tank Onward.{{cite web |last=Eaton |first=George |date=2018-05-18 |title=Onward – the Tory think tank on a mission to remake conservatism |url=https://www.newstatesman.com/politics/uk/2018/05/onward-tory-think-tank-mission-remake-conservatism |accessdate=2020-10-14 |newspaper=The New Statesman |location=London}}
When Rishi Sunak became Prime Minister, Tanner returned to Number 10 as Deputy Chief of Staff. In May 2024, during the 2024 general election campaign, Tanner was labelled by The Daily Telegraph as being the author of the Conservative Party's plan to bring in a new form of national service were they to win the election.{{Cite news |last=Martin |first=Daniel |date=2024-05-26 |title=Key figure behind National Service plans previously called for more policing |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2024/05/26/think-tank-ex-boss-national-service-plans-more-policing/ |access-date=2024-05-28 |work=The Telegraph |language=en-GB |issn=0307-1235}} He was criticised for his time in Government for "refus[ing] to suggest any number of immigrants as an upper limit".{{Cite web |date=2024-06-06 |title=Selected for greatness {{!}} Parliament Square |url=https://thecritic.co.uk/selected-for-greatness/ |access-date=2024-06-25 |website=The Critic Magazine |language=en-GB}}
Tanner was selected as the prospective parliamentary candidate for the seat of Bury St. Edmunds & Stowmarket in the 2024 General Election.{{Cite tweet |number=1797718231710368002 |user=tomorrowsmps |title=🔵 BURY ST EDMUNDS & STOWMARKET: Will Tanner wins selection on first round "by a landslide". |author=Tomorrow's MPs}} He campaigned alongside his party duties,{{Cite web |last=Derrick |first=Paul |date=2024-06-04 |title=General Election: Conservative candidates chosen for two Suffolk seats |url=https://www.suffolknews.co.uk/bury-st-edmunds/news/general-election-conservative-candidates-chosen-for-two-suf-9368894/ |access-date=2024-06-06 |website=Suffolk News |language=en}} hoping to replace Jo Churchill.{{Cite web |last=Geater |first=Paul |date=2024-06-05 |title=Downing Street official hopes to become Suffolk MP after General Election |url=https://www.eadt.co.uk/news/24365994.final-two-tories-picked-contest-suffolk-seats-election/ |access-date=2024-06-06 |website=East Anglian Daily Times |language=en}} He was unsuccessful in his bid, receiving 15,293 votes (30.0%), thereby losing the traditionally safe Conservative seat to the Labour candidate (Peter Prinsley) by 1,452 votes.{{Cite news |title=Bury St Edmunds and Stowmarket - General election results 2024 |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/election/2024/uk/constituencies/E14001146 |access-date=2024-07-05 |work=BBC News |language=en-GB}}
Honours
In April 2025, Tanner was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the 2024 Prime Minister's Resignation Honours "for political and public service".{{Cite web |date=11 April 2025 |title=Resignation Honours April 2025 |url=https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/67f905f16812c7adcf513f44/Resignation_Honours_List_2025.pdf}}
External links
- {{Twitter|id=will_tanner}}
References
{{British special advisers}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tanner, Will}}
Category:British special advisers
Category:Year of birth missing (living people)
Category:Conservative Party (UK) parliamentary candidates
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