Jonathan Caine is to leave Bell Pottinger’s Public Affairs practice and rejoin the Conservative team as chief of staff to the shadow Northern Ireland secretary, Owen Paterson.

Before moving to Bell Pottinger in 2007, Jonathan served as Assistant Director of the Conservative Research Department for 8 and a half years where he specialised in Northern Ireland.

In the Major government he also served as special adviser to two secretaries of state for Northern Ireland between 1991-95.

Commenting on his appointment Jonathan said:

“This is a great opportunity for me and I am immensely privileged to have been asked by David and Owen to do it. Anyone who knows me understands my passionate commitment to Northern Ireland. I am also grateful to Tim Bell and Peter Bingle for agreeing to release me to do this job. BPPA is a great place to work, with a terrific bunch of people. They are the best in the business.”

Owen Paterson, shadow Northern Ireland secretary, said:

“Jonathan is widely acknowledged in Westminster as one of the foremost experts on Northern Ireland politics. David and I are therefore extremely pleased that he is coming on board as, along with Reg Empey, we seek to build our new political force of Conservatives and Unionists and bring Northern Ireland back into the mainstream of UK politics. We are also grateful to Tim Bell and Peter Bingle for agreeing to let him go.”