John Gill has been promoted from senior press officer to the newly created role of deputy director of external affairs, Reform UK announced on the 18th August.

Gill will work alongside Matthew MacKinnon, the party’s director of external affairs. In his new position, he will leave Reform UK’s press operation and focus on strengthening the party’s engagement with businesses, trade associations, charities, universities and other external stakeholders.

He joins the external affairs team as Reform UK increases preparations for its national conference in Birmingham next month.

Gill’s immediate priority will be overseeing the programme of events for the inaugural Business Day, as well as the wider conference.

He has also been tasked with developing and maintaining a network of experts across key industry sectors, which will contribute to the party’s policy-making process.

According to Reform UK, “Gill has worked in press and communications roles alongside Nigel Farage since 2013.”

Gill began his career as an assistant media and internal communications officer at National Savings & Investments, where he spent less than a year. He then briefly worked as an account executive at Byfield Consultancy for four months before joining UKIP in 2013 as a campaigns assistant.

He subsequently held a number of positions, including press officer, head of communications for UKIP in the London Assembly, and senior press officer.

Gill left the party in 2017 to join financial services PR agency Greentarget as an account manager. He later worked as an account manager at Thoburns Communications. While at the agency, he also served voluntarily as press officer for the Brexit Party during the 2019 European Parliament elections.

In 2021, Gill joined UK Finance as press manager before being appointed public affairs manager at the trade body in 2023. He left the organisation last year to return to Reform UK as a press officer.

“Political journalists are some of the sharpest people you will ever meet”

Reflecting on his move from the Reform UK press office to the external affairs team, Gill said: “Working with the Westminster press pack has been an honour. Political journalists are some of the sharpest people you will ever meet, and they’ve kept me on my toes for the past decade, and taught me more than I care to mention.

“They’re relentless, endlessly curious and almost impossible to dodge. That’s exactly what makes them so good at their jobs, and it’s why I’m looking forward to seeing many of them socially rather than with a notebook in hand.”

He added: “I am now looking forward to returning to my other area of expertise, working with businesses and helping strengthen communication and understanding between policymakers and wealth creators ahead of the next general election.”