David Dinsmore
Biography
David Dinsmore was appointed the Permanent Secretary Director for Government Communications at the Cabinet Office in November 2025. He leads Government Communications, the professional body overseeing and coordinating communications across all government departments and public bodies.
Prior to joining the Civil Service, David’s previous roles were:
- Chief Operating Officer at News UK (2015-2025), the multi-platform media business that includes The Sun, The Times, The Sunday Times, TalkSPORT and Virgin Radio.
- Editor of The Sun (2013-2015) and The Scottish Sun (2006-2010).
- He held a variety of posts throughout his early career in journalism which began as a reporter on local weekly newspapers in Scotland.
David has also served as chair of the News Media Association (2019-2021) and Newsworks, the marketing body for the News industry (2024-2025), and on the board of the International News Media Association (2023-2025).
Permanent Secretary Director of Communications
The Permanent Secretary for Communications is responsible for transforming how the UK Government communicates and builds trust with the public. It is also the head of the Government Communications profession.
Responsibilities include:
- Delivering a government communication strategy that reflects the evolving media landscape and technological changes.
- Leading major cross-government communications to support the Prime Minister’s Plan for Change, ensuring the public gets clear, timely and engaging information.
- Modernising how the government communicates by building capability, driving innovation and ensuring that Government Communications operates effectively and efficiently.