There’s reportedly infighting and stress over jobs at Quantity 10 Downing Road (Image: Reuters / Toby Melville / PA)
Considered one of Boris Johnson’s closest aides has dramatically fairly Downing Road amid inside preventing and stress at Quantity 10.
Lee Cain, the Prime Minister’s director of communications, introduced his resignation late final evening.
He had been supplied a promotion to a key place of the PM’s chief of employees however turned it down following battle over the function.
In his resignation assertion, former tabloid journalist Mr Cain stated he had determined to resign after ‘cautious consideration’.
He stated it had been an ‘honour’ to have been supplied the promotion and thanked Mr Johnson for his ‘loyalty and management’.
In response, the PM paid tribute to Mr Cain’s ‘extraordinary service’ to the Authorities over the previous 4 years.
‘He has been a real ally and pal and I’m very glad that he’ll stay director of communications till the brand new yr and to assist restructure the operation,’ he stated.
‘He might be a lot missed.’
Lee Cain, the Prime Minister’s director of communications, introduced his resignation late final evening (Image: Reuters)
It’s thought Mr Cain’s function supply had created speedy resistance in Authorities, with MPs, ministers and reportedly even the PM’s accomplice Carrie Symonds against the appointment.
The transfer, which might have meant he was one among just some folks with direct one-to-one entry to Mr Johnson, was seen as ‘entrenching’ the grip of Vote Go away on Downing Road.
The chief of employees place is being crammed as a part of an inside restructure, which may even see former TV journalist Allegra Stratton host televised Quantity 10 information conferences from subsequent yr.
Will Dominic Cummings resign?
Mr Cain’s departure sparked hypothesis final evening he may be adopted by Dominic Cummings, who’s the PM’s prime advisor.
Many speculated final evening whether or not this may additionally immediate resignation from Dominic Cummings, Boris Johnson’s chief advisor (Image: AFP by way of Getty Pictures)
Mr Cain and Mr Cummings are thought of shut political allies (Image: PA)
Mr Cummings and Mr Cain are thought of shut political allies, and had labored collectively on the 2016 EU referendum marketing campaign below Mr Johnson.
Nevertheless it was reported that regardless of Mr Cummings’ unhappiness concerning the state of affairs, he has determined to remain for now to assist the Authorities’s response to coronavirus.
Mr Cummings has been an vital but controversial determine since turning into Mr Johnson’s prime aide when he was elected final yr.
His abrasive method and open contempt for MPs has earned him many enemies in Whitehall.
It’s thought Mr Cain might be succeeded by James Slack, the PM’s official spokesperson who additionally held the publish below Theresa Might.
James Slack, the official spokesperson of the Prime Minister, is regarded as in line to switch Mr Cain (Image: REX / Shutterstock)
However Mr Slack, a former Each day Mail journalist, is a member of the everlasting Civil Service slightly than a political advisor like Mr Cain was.
Mr Cain initially joined Mr Johnson when he was made international secretary by Mrs Might following the 2016 Brexit referendum.
He stayed with Mr Johnson when he stop two years later over her proposed Brexit deal, and labored on his marketing campaign to succeed her as Tory chief.
The information comes amid rising insurrection amongst rising numbers of Conservative MPs towards No 10’s dealing with of the pandemic.
Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, a senior member of the influential Tory backbench 1922 Committee, stated Mr Johnson wanted somebody who might act as a hyperlink with the social gathering in Parliament.
‘I believe it’s important for the Prime Minister to have a chief of employees. Someone we will pay money for if we actually have to,’ he stated.
A Labour Social gathering spokesperson stated: ‘On the day the UK grew to become the primary nation in Europe to report 50,000 coronavirus deaths and the general public endured one other day of lockdown, Boris Johnson’s Authorities is preventing like rats in a sack over who will get what job.
‘It’s exactly this lack of focus and rank incompetence that has held Britain again.
‘The general public deserve higher than this incompetence and divided Conservative Authorities.’
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