Boris Johnson to overhaul eighth floor of City Hall

As Boris and Kit return from their ill-fated intervention into the geopolitics of Kent, political life back in City Hall is being quietly overhauled.

Starting from today, the Mayors' office will be completely restructured with 36 posts deleted and thirteen new posts created.

A leaked document drawn up by the Interim Head of Paid Service Jeff Jacobs suggests that the restructuring will save £835,000 a year.

The posts set to go are as follows:

However, with some of these posts already unfilled and with some new posts appearing to be adapted versions of deleted ones, it is unclear just what the saving will be in real terms.

Unsettled pay awards and the continuing cost of the transition will also confuse the sums.

But that aside, there are further questions about how the new team will operate, and to what extent Sir Simon Milton has overplayed his role within City Hall.

Chief of Stuff

Under the new structure (outlined above) Milton will only have direct line management over a private secretary who in turn will manage individual advisors. 

These advisors will then be appointed to individual policy directors such as Ranger and Mirza and to the Deputy Mayors such as Malthouse and Barnes.

But with no direct line management from the self-declared 'Chief of Staff' to those holding individual portfolios, there is a risk that the rivalry and infighting that we have seen so far will continue.

And with Malthouse and Coleman already stretching way beyond their portfolios, it remains to be seen if harmony can still break out in City Hall.