Conservative MPs have claimed a promotion for Boris Johnson’s head of communications would be the “final nail for the prime minister”.
The Telegraph reports that former Vote Leave spokesman Lee Cain could be made chief of staff, joining a trio of advisers including Dominic Cummings, Lord Udny-Lister and Simon Case in the prime minister’s inner circle of aides.
The former tabloid journalist – who dressed as the Mirror chicken – was made head of broadcast for the Leave campaign in before going on to help organise Johnson’s campaign to replace Theresa May.
MORE: How money is causing a divide between Boris Johnson’s top advisers
The BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg claimed that promoting Cain could help solve “tensions with the coming arrival of new press spokesperson Allegra Stratton”, who was reportedly not Cain’s first choice for the role.
The news has angered Conservative MPs who have now become distracted from the focus on Brexit and coronavirus.
One Tory MP claimed that Sunak’s address of the 1922 committee will be his “job interview”, adding “we’ll just ‘when can you start?’.
Another fumed: “The lunatic will have literally taken over the asylum…. he is Dom Cummings’ puppet and Dom Cummings is an advocate for lockdowns.”
She added: “If this is true and comes to pass it will be the final nail for the PM. I don’t think he realises how concerned the parliamentary party is about the number 10 operation and at the heart of that is Cummings and Cain. It is just clear the PM does not understand or appreciate the trouble he is in with parliamentary party.
“Lee Cain’s appointment makes Rishi’s trajectory even quicker.”
Most popular
Alastair Campbell’s Diary: Disappointing Greta Thunberg and a night out with the Kinnocks
Mandrake: Facing the fury of Nadine Dorries
