Britain12 August, 20262 min read
Andy Burnham Appoints Gautam Rangarajan as Expert Adviser at 10 Downing Street
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Andy Burnham appointed Gautam Rangarajan as Expert Adviser on Structure and Process at 10 Downing Street. Rangarajan is Indian-origin strategist and former BBC executive with media and corporate strategy background.
Rangarajan at No. 10
British Prime Minister Andy Burnham has appointed Indian-origin strategist and media executive Gautam Rangarajan as an Expert Adviser on Structure and Process in a newly created role at 10 Downing Street. A brief statement from the Prime Minister's Office at 10 Downing Street said, "Gautam Rangarajan has been appointed as an Expert Advisor on Structure and Process."
“Gautam Rangarajan has been appointed as an Expert Advisor on Structure and Process.”
The DT Next report says Rangarajan, a former BBC strategist and musician, "takes charge at 10 Downing Street this week" as he begins the assignment. Hindustan Times describes Rangarajan as a former BBC strategist and musician who says he is an experienced strategist and creative content producer, and it says he has "over 20 years of experience" in media, creative industries and public service broadcasting.
Whitehall reshaped
DT Next links the appointment to Burnham’s early moves in office, including realigning government departments and expanding the Department for Business and Trade into the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade.
DT Next also says Burnham established a new Office for the PM and Cabinet (OPMC), led by Cabinet Office Minister Louise Haigh and Cabinet Secretary Dame Antonia Romeo.
Baroness Angela Smith, Leader of the House of Lords, told Parliament last month that "the Prime Minister is creating an Office for the Prime Minister and the Cabinet (OPMC)" to house No. 10 [Downing Street], No. 10 North and teams serving the Prime Minister and Cabinet.
Hindustan Times adds that Rangarajan is a former BBC strategist and musician and notes his background includes promotions at the BBC, culminating in him becoming the group director, strategy and performance in May 2013.
Heatwave, tour, and role
DT Next says the announcements came during the parliamentary summer recess as Burnham set aside time for a nationwide tour focused on "everyday fixes" aimed at easing the rising cost of living for families across the UK. It also reports that on Wednesday Burnham chaired an emergency ministerial Cabinet Office Briefing Room A (COBRA) meeting in response to the UK’s extreme heatwave, which it says triggered wildfires and drought conditions across swathes of the country.
DT Next quotes Burnham issuing a "loud and clear message" that people must take the greatest possible care when they are out in the countryside, "both in terms of cigarettes, but also those temporary barbecues that we know are causing risk of fires". In parallel, Hindustan Times says Burnham also appointed Indian-origin MP Kanishka Narayan as the first minister of artificial intelligence, and it states Narayan was appointed minister for AI and online safety in September 2025 under Starmer.