Prime Minister Andy Burnham has appointed Neil Amin-Smith, a former violinist for the Grammy Award-winning band Clean Bandit, as his top economic adviser. Amin-Smith, 36, began his political career in 2019 after leaving the music industry.
Before his transition to politics, Amin-Smith was a violinist in Clean Bandit, a British electronic music group formed in 2008. The band is known for hit songs such as "Rather Be," "Rockabye," and "Symphony," and has collaborated with artists including Demi Lovato and Jess Glynne. During his music career, Amin-Smith also appeared on the cover of Gay Times and publicly discussed his relationship with singer Olly Alexander.
Amin-Smith departed Clean Bandit in 2016. He then joined the Institute for Fiscal Studies as a research economist before moving to the Treasury in 2019, where he served as a senior policy adviser. In this role, he was the Labour Party's primary political adviser for policies concerning the City of London, working closely with Rachel Reeves for four years.
This appointment follows a series of cabinet changes made by Prime Minister Burnham, who officially took office on July 20. Notable shifts include the removal of Rachel Reeves as Chancellor and David Lammy from the position of Deputy Prime Minister, making way for Burnham's allies in key roles. However, Angela Rayner and Louise Haigh have returned to the Cabinet.
Burnham, formerly the mayor of Manchester, has pledged significant political reform, promising substantial changes and initiatives such as providing financial relief for households facing cost-of-living challenges, ending rough sleeping, and undertaking a program of "reindustrialising Britain."
Amin-Smith, who grew up in North London, earned a BA in History from Cambridge University and an MPhil in Economics in 2013. He previously stated that he declined offers from the Foreign Office and MI6 to pursue his music career. One Treasury official described Amin-Smith as "unusually gorgeous, and quite stylish," adding that he possesses "a kind of quiet, confident coolness."