Boris Johnson ‘never more committed’ to his work, insists spokesperson

Downing Street praised the “hard work” done by the two men, who both worked on the Vote Leave campaign in the Brexit referendum.

“The PM would thank both Dom and Lee for the service they have given to him and the hard work they have put in over recent months on projects such as mass testing and the government’s coronavirus response,” Johnson’s official spokesman said.

In the vicious briefing wars that have taken place since the turmoil in No 10 became public, allies of Cummings and Cain had been accused of calling the prime minister’s fiancee Carrie Symonds “Princess Nut Nuts”.

Asked what Johnson thought about that, his spokesman said: “I have read an awful lot of unattributed anonymous material over the course of the weekend and I have never chosen to comment on that.

“From the prime minister’s point of view, he knows that the government and No 10 is focused on getting the country through the coronavirus pandemic and on delivering his levelling-up agenda.

“He has a huge job of work to do on behalf of the people who put him here and he has never been more committed to delivering on their behalf.”

Asked about Symonds’ role in No 10 – she reportedly lobbied against Cain’s potential promotion to chief of staff – the spokesman said: “The prime minister receives advice from his political appointees and civil servants, but ultimately it is for him and ministers to decide.”

Symonds is a former Tory press chief and has served as a special adviser in previous administrations.