Boris Johnson's adviser faces fresh questions over claims of ‘rule breaking’ in No 10

Senior Boris Johnson aide Dominic Cummings faces questions over whether he has been breaking government rules to help the Tory election campaign. Photo: Yui Mok / PA - Credit: PA Wire/PA Images

The prime minister’s most senior aide is facing fresh questions over giving assistance to the Conservative Party while working as a civil servant.

Dominic Cummings is a senior government advisor to Boris Johnson, and civil servants are not supposed to get involved in party political campaigning during election periods.

However, the Liberal Democrats have written to the chief of the Civil Service, Sir Mark Sedwill, to get assurances that Cummings did not do anything to breach the code of conduct for special advisers.

Ahead of the election, advice was issued stating that if special advisers who wished to take part in the election campaigns must “first resign their appointments”.

The advice also says “those who remain in post to work on government business must ensure that they do not use official resources for party political purposes.”

In the letter to the chief of the Civil Service, the Lib Dems Brexit spokesman Tom Brake said recent media reports claimed Cummings had been involved in the Tories election campaign.

READ MORE: Vote Leave’s Dominic Cummings found to be in contempt of Parliament READ MORE: Tories turn on Cummings as MP calls for him to be ‘frogmarched out of Downing Street’BuzzFeed News had reported that Cummings has been in more regular communication with campaign staff over the last week, “despite him initially being expected to stay in Downing Street and let CCHQ run the campaign”.

“I am sure you will agree, the media reports that prime minister’s chief special adviser Dominic Cummings has potentially breached the Code of Conduct for Special Advisers are exceptionally serious and as such we would appreciate a quick response to our questions,” Brake said.

Sedwell has been asked by the Lib Dems to confirm whether Cummings has had contact or been involved with the Tory election campaign and whether this involvement breaches the code of conduct.

He has also been asked whether Cummings had used government resources including phones and computers to contact members of the Tory election campaign, alongside whether there are any other special advisers had done so.