Jonathan Powell

Jonathan Powell served as the first Downing Street Chief of Staff under Tony Blair between 1997-2007. During this period, he played a key role in the formation of the Blair government foreign policy and political strategies. Most notably, he was principal negotiator on Northern Ireland form 1997-2007 and was instrumental in bringing about peace through power-sharing agreements, documented in his book Great Hate, Little Room: Making Peace in Northern Ireland. Powell is the only senior member of staff to serve with Blair from beginning to end of his time as leader of the Labour Party, and he was intimately involved in all the major events of those 13 years including three successive election victories. Before joining Blair, Powell was a British diplomat for sixteen years and played a central role in negotiations with China on the return of Honk Kong, and Zimbabwean independence. His latest book, The New Machiavelli: How to Wield Power in the Modern World reveals the inner workings of the new Labour movement and the Blair years.