Tim Allan is a British communicatons executive and anti-transgender activist. Allan served as a trustee of sex segregationist group Sex Matters from 2024 to 2025.
Background
Timothy Neil Allan was born in March 1970. Allan earned a bachelor’s degree from Pembroke College, Cambridge in 1992 and an MBA from Insead in 2000.
After serving as a researcher for Tony Blair, Allan became deputy press secretary for Blair when Blair became leader of the Labour Party in 1994. Starting in 1997, Allan was deputy director of communications at 10 Downing Street.
Between 1998 and 2001, Allan was director of corporate communications at BSkyB. Allan founded public relations consultancy Portland in 2001. In 2012, Allan reportedly sold a majority stake in Portland to Omnicom for an estimated £20 million. Allan was chair of the Young Foundation from 2012 to 2016. Allan sat on Teach First’s Business Advisory Council, has supported the Jo Cox Foundation and gives talks as part of the Speakers For Schools program. Allan is founding chair of Good Growth Foundation.
In September 2025, Allan was appointed by Kier Starmer as the Government’s executive director of communications, as the PM aims to improve communications across his administration. Allan stepped fown from Sex Matters shortly before the appointment.
Anti-trans activism
Allan was named a trustee of Sex Matters in 2024. According to the Sex Matters website:
Tim Allan’s career has spanned working as a senior advisor in 10 Downing Street for Tony Blair, running corporate communications for BSkyB and founding a communications consultancy, Portland, which grew into one of the most highly regarded global reputation-management consultancies. Since selling Portland, he has become an investor in the communications consultancy sector.
As a trustee, Allan was listed on several letters from Sex Matters attacking trans rights.
References
Howe, Megan; Burford, Rachael; Howie, Michael (September 1, 2025). Sir Keir Starmer admits ‘frustration’ as he shakes up his Downing Street team. The Standard https://www.standard.co.uk/news/politics/keir-starmer-reshuffle-b1245359.html
Hughes, Solomon (May 17, 2019). A Former Blair Advisor Who Runs a PR Firm with Dodgy Clients Gave a Major Donation to Change UK. VICE https://www.vice.com/en/article/a-former-blair-advisor-who-runs-a-pr-firm-with-dodgy-clients-gave-a-major-donation-to-change-uk/
Barber, Lyndsey (October 15, 2012). Portland MD Tim Allan to chair The Young Foundation. PR Week UK https://www.prweek.co.uk/article/1154743/portland-md-tim-allan-chair-young-foundation
Sweney, Mark (April 11, 2012). Tim Allan to sell majority stake in Portland to Omnicom in £20m deal. The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/media/2012/apr/12/tim-allan-portland-stake
Singleton, David (May 13, 2009). Profile: Tim Allan, MD, Portland. PR Week UK http://www.prweek.com/uk/news/features/specialReports/905737/Profile-Tim-Allan-MD-Portland/ [not archived]
Resources
Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org)
Tim Allan Office (timallanoffice.com) [archive]
Portland (portland-communications.com)
Sex Matters (sex-matters.org)
- Tim Allan
- sex-matters.org/about-us/board/tim-allan [archive]
LinkedIn (linkedin.com)
UK Who’s Who (ukwhoswho.com)
- Allan, Timothy Neil
- ukwhoswho.com/display/10.1093/ww/9780199540884.001.0001/ww-9780199540884-e-274612
Good Growth Foundation (goodgrowthfoundation.co.uk)
- Tim Allen
- goodgrowthfoundation.co.uk/people