Liz Truss hires Boris Johnson’s official videographer

Liz Truss has recruited Boris Johnson's official videographer to accompany her on overseas trips and overhaul her digital presence, The Telegraph can reveal.

The Cabinet minister has hired Robert Midgley from Downing Street as her digital media adviser, in a move that will add to mounting speculation about the Foreign Secretary's leadership ambitions.

A Foreign Office source said that Mr Midgley, a civil servant who was the first in-house videographer at No 10, would advise Ms Truss and officials on digital media and "help raise the level and quality of the department's output". Ms Truss wants to boost the use of "digital diplomacy", including through videos posted on Twitter and Instagram, according to the source, who suggested that the new role was the digital equivalent of her official press secretary.

The appointment comes after Ms Truss recruited Reuben Solomon, a former head of digital at the Conservative Party, as a special adviser, taking her team of political staff to seven. Rishi Sunak, the Chancellor, who is considered another front-runner to succeed Boris Johnson, hired Cass Horowitz, the co-founder of a creative agency, as a digital guru within his political team, in February 2020.

Behind national television addresses

Mr Midgley, who will remain a civil servant, was also behind the Prime Minister's national television addresses during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The disclosure comes after Ms Truss, who replaced Dominic Raab at the Foreign Office in September, dismissed claims that she was responsible for wasting taxpayers' money after it emerged that she used a government-leased jet to fly to Australia with aides and protection officers.

The source said: "These things are watched by friends, allies and, indeed, adversaries around the world, so it's an important way to get our message out in the modern, digital world."

Last week, a video posted by the Foreign Office on the Northern Ireland Protocol prompted claims that the clip amounted to "propaganda". The video warned that the Protocol, which is being renegotiated by Ms Truss, was undermining the Northern Ireland peace process and "needs to be fixed". Brexiteers welcomed the Foreign Office's "refreshing change of tone".

Last week, Ms Truss said the Government leased a private plane “precisely so that ministers can travel” as she did to Australia, as she insisted that “every government decision is based on value for money”. Officials said that using the jet allowed the trip’s delegation to travel together and have private discussions on sensitive security matters.