Gawain Towler

Gawain Towler
Head of Press for UK Independence Party
In office 2009–2018
Director of Communications for the Brexit Party *(later Reform UK)*
In office 2019–2024
Personal details
Born	December 1967 (age 57) Devon, England
Political party	Reform UK (2019–2024)
Other political affiliations	Conservative (until 2004) UK Independence Party (2004–2018) Brexit Party (2019)
Alma mater	University of York (BA in Philosophy)
Occupation	Political strategist *Press officer *Journalist

Gawain Towler is a British political strategist and journalist known for his involvement in British Eurosceptic movements. He served as the press officer for the UK Independence Party (UKIP) from 2004 to 2017, initially in Brussels and later in London. In 2019, he became the Director of Communications for the Brexit Party. Towler has contributed to various national publications, including The Telegraph, The Spectator, CapX, The Critic, and Spiked, where he writes on topics such as foreign affairs, politics, society, and culture. He is also the owner and founder of CWC Strategy, a communications and strategy agency. Towler studied philosophy at the University of York and currently resides in London.

Early life and education

Towler was born in December 1967 in Devon, England. He was educated at Clayesmore School, Dorset, and later studied philosophy at the University of York, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree. While at York he was chairman of the University of York Conservative and Unionist Association.

Towler began his political career as a member of the Conservative Party and ran as the Conservative candidate for Glasgow Maryhill in the 2001 UK general election. He later stood as a Conservative candidate in the 2003 Scottish Parliament election for the Glasgow Kelvin constituency.

In the late 1990s and early 2000s, Towler worked in Brussels as an assistant to a Conservative Member of the European Parliament (MEP). During this time, he became critical of the European Union's influence and transitioned toward Euroscepticism. While in Brussels, he co-founded and edited The Sprout, a satirical magazine focused on EU politics.

In 2004, Nigel Farage recruited Towler to join UKIP as a press officer. By 2009, he had become UKIP's Head of Press, leading the party's media operations. He held this position through the 2016 Brexit referendum until early 2018, when he stepped down following UKIP's decline.

In 2019, Towler became Director of Communications for the newly-formed Brexit Party, where he played a key role in shaping its messaging during the 2019 European Parliament elections. After the Brexit Party rebranded as Reform UK in 2021, Towler continued as the party's chief press officer under Richard Tice. He remained in this role until 2024, when he left as part of a party restructuring effort.