Marchbank, currently head of news at the Ministry of Justice, will report into the PM’s spokesman Jean-Christophe Gray and also become head of news at Number 10.
He will start next month and replace Christian Cubitt, who was drafted into the role on a temporary basis from the Cabinet Office after the departure of Vickie Sheriff.
It is understood that Cubitt has been offered a senior post back at the Cabinet office working closely with the government’s comms head Alex Aiken.
One departmental insider said the appointment of Marchbank over Cubitt was ‘likely to have surprised a few people’, but added:
‘Marchbank is a firm manager and always has a clear view of what needs to be done. He has strong leadership skills which are vitally important considering the intricacies of the Number 10 operation. He also has a good manner with journalists and already gets on well with quite a few of the lobby correspondents.’
Marchbank replaced Vickie Sheriff at the Ministry of Justice in 2010 when she left to become the PM's deputy spokeswoman.
