Jimmy McLoughlin, the son of Conservative Party chairman Sir Patrick McLoughlin, has reportedly been hired by Number 10. McLoughlin comes from the Institute of Directors (IoD), where he worked as deputy head of policy and head of external relations since 2014, and is expected to liaise with the UK's business community in his new role.

He was apparently given leave from the business body to work on Theresa May's leadership campaign and has previously worked at Bell Pottinger, Fleishman-Hillard as well as Boris Johnson's 2008 Mayor of London election campaign.

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"Jimmy has done great work making the IoD more open to entrepreneurs, helping The99, our membership scheme for younger businesses, recently hit 1,000 members," Simon Walker, director general of the IoD, told City Am.

"He has lead our work on giving more people a chance to invest in growing companies, and I'm sure he will be a champion for start-ups and innovation in government. We will be very sorry to see him go, but wish him all the best."

The move comes after May promised to crackdown on big business excess, including a proposal to let shareholders vote on executive pay levels and allow employees to have representatives on company boards.

Brexit business plans

The UK's small and medium-sized enterprises were first in line to grill the new prime minister over her Brexit plans when she hosted a Number 10 summit on 4 August.

"I want to build an economy that works for all, and that means working with, and listening to, smaller firms," the Conservative premier said. "The priorities I have set: a more productive, skilled workforce, an economy balanced across the UK and open to new opportunities, can only be achieved if we listen to these businesses."

Representatives from the British Chambers of Commerce, manufacturing organisation the EEF and the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB), were among those who took part in the round table.

Martin McTague, the FSB's national policy director, said :"We were able to put across the needs of our members and smaller businesses. FSB members are the backbone to the UK economy and it is crucial that their concerns are put front and centre in the Brexit negotiations.

"Smaller businesses want access to European markets, the ability to hire the right people, reassurance on key EU-funded schemes and a new approach to both regulation and de-regulation. Now more than ever, UK economic growth rests on the future success of our small businesses."

Theresa May