Former Downing Street chief adviser Dominic Cummings has encouraged government ministers to “push what is falling” amid a growing number of resignations from Boris Johnson’s backroom staff.
Mr Johnson’s chief of staff, Dan Rosenfield, resigned, alongside the prime minister’s principal private secretary Martin Reynolds, press chief Jack Doyle and policy chief Munira Mirza.
Sources inside the government told Sky News Political Editor Beth Rigby that the three men had “other difficulties” around them – including to do with the parties held in Downing Street.
What's going on in No 10? An ally of PM says he had time on visit to Blackpool to work out what he wants to do & the resignation of Mirza (unexpected) focused mind on changes needed. Ally says this PM putting into effect changes he promised & we shld expect more resignations 1/
Ms Mirza stood down over Mr Johnson’s refusal to apologise over remarks he made about Labour Leader Sir Keir Starmer earlier this week.
In the case of Ms Mirza, a government source said: “I agree with her, I think he should have apologised”.
Another ally of Mr Johnson told Beth Rigby: “The Prime Minister’s under siege.”
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Mr Johnson’s former chief aide Dominic Cummings said: “Moral courage from Munira who has done her best to make progress with a professional team throughout the horror since 11/20.
“It’s also an unmistakable signal the bunker is collapsing & *this PM is finished*. Flicker of moral courage from Cabinet & Cabinet Office asap please.”
He added: “Pretty soon there will be a mad scramble & ministers will be kicking themselves hitting their heads saying ‘WHY didn’t I move faster arghhh’.
“Now’s your moment, find a flicker of moral courage & ‘push what is falling’.”
Two more senior officials quit Number 10 in mass exodus amid partygate fallout
Pretty soon there will be a mad scramble & ministers will be kicking themselves hitting their heads saying 'WHY didnt i move faster arghhh'.
Nows your moment, find a flicker of moral courage & 'push what is falling' https://t.co/eNR2wtB0CR
Stuart Anderson, the Conservative MP for Wolverhampton South West since 2019, said: “On Monday @BorisJohnson promised MPs change. Tonight we see that change starting to happen and I welcome this quick action by the Prime Minister.”
Other members of the 2019 intake tweeted similar messages, supporting the prime minister for the four people resigning from Number 10 today.
And Michael Fabricant, who has been a Conservative member of parliament since 1992, tweeted: “The PM promised changes to the No10 operation at the 1922 on Monday, and it’s good to see action is now swiftly being taken.”
Dr Catherine Haddon, a senior fellow at the Institute for Government think tank, said: “Worth remembering that the ‘reset’ resignations were planned.
“So they must have spent some time thinking through how and when to announce and what message they wanted it to convey.
“Instead…”
Worth remembering that the ‘reset’ resignations were planned.
So they must have spent some time thinking through how and when to announce and what message they wanted it to convey.
Instead…
Labour’s shadow Health Secretary, Wes Streeting, said: “Tonight’s Twitter feed is like a Who’s Who of which Tory MPs are gullible enough to parrot the loyalist lines from (what’s left of) Number 10.”
Shadow Foreign Secretary David Lammy said: “@BorisJohnson has lost his chief of staff, director of comms, director of policy and private secretary in a day! But most of all he has lost his way…. Go now so the county can steer a course back to normality.”
Labour MP for the Rhondda Chris Bryant, simply tweeted: “Drowning Street.”
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