Boris Johnson’s Chief of Staff is under Tory fire over last year’s cricket match that was free while Afganistan was in decline.
Dan Rosenfield was one of the first to accept tickets to Lords on August 12th for the England-India test. This took place just three days prior when the Taliban claimed Kabul.
Conservative MPs condemned the timing of the reception, which was revealed in government transparency logs. They called it “extraordinary”.
Dominic Raab (then Foreign Secretary) was then ordered to return home from Crete.
Sources insisted Mr Rosenfield had been in ‘constant contact with the office’ while he watched the sport.
However, the Sunday Telegraph’s first mention of the Freebie will fuel speculation about Mr Rosenfield being shifted to Downing Street in an overhaul after the Partygate scandal.
Rosenfield is often in the crosshairs backbenchers. Reports suggest that he may be promoted to civil service.
Rumours persist that David Canzini could be brought into the No10 team to augment it, an ally of election expert Sir Lyntoncrosby.
Antonia Romao, highly-rated mandarin, has been considered for a promotion should Cabinet Secretary Simon Case have to move on.
Dan Rosenfield was one of the first to accept tickets for Lords’ England v India tests on August 12. This test took place just three days prior to Taliban taking Kabul.
Sources claimed that Mr Rosenfield was in constant contact with his office while watching the sport
UK and other nations were shocked at how fast the Taliban took over Kabul. (pictured fighters in Kabul, August 2013).
Rosenfield was called in as a reinforcement to the No10 team after Dominic Cummings left at the end 2020. He also attended another match last August 21. This was on Saturday.
David Davis, former cabinet minister, told Telegraph: “It’s an amazing reflection of the work ethic of No10 staff that senior members of that staff are taking days off while Afghanistan is falling. No10 is demanding that ministers go on holiday.”
A senior MP stated that he could not imagine David Cameron’s chief staffer doing such a thing. He wouldn’t have fired him.
“Can You Imagine Theresa May’s Chief of Staff doing that?” He would not have been fired, but she wouldn’t.
“Can you see the chief of staff doing such a thing when he worked under George Osborne and Alistair Darling?” It’s impossible for him to have done that.
Mr Johnson was given some respite from his beasting over Partygate today as a poll showed signs of a Tory recovery.
After the claims of lockdown in No10, the PM is facing the threat to a coup. This was due to unrest among the government benches.
These ongoing disputes have had a devastating effect on both the popularity of the Conservatives and Mr Johnson. Research for Opinium suggests that the party may be gaining ground.
Labour has trimmed its 10-point lead over the fortnight before to just five points. The PM’s ratings have fallen to rock bottom.
According to MPs, they feel reassured by the fact that public anger seems to be cooling off. Rumours have it that Johnson plans to conduct a massive clearout at No10 of staff members as part of Operation Save Big Dog.
However, he has risked a Tory backlash on another front today by vowing that the £12billion national insurance hike will go ahead in April.
There are potential landmines still waiting. Sue Gray, top civil servant will publish her Partygate Report this week. Police have also launched a formal investigation.
The Opinium poll put Labour on 39 per cent support – down two on a fortnight ago – while the Conservatives were up three on 34 per cent.
The Liberal Democrats were unaffected by the 9 percent.
His approval rating has risen from a net-minus 42 just two weeks ago, to a still dire minus 37.
Keir starmer was rated zero, while overall his rating had declined four points.
Adam Drummond, Opinium stated that the findings felt like a “let down for Labour” despite having an advantage.
Boris Johnson’s approval rating remains low and Labour is now leading on many issues, including traditional Tory strong areas like crime and immigration. He also said that the Conservatives were only slightly ahead in ‘the economy.’
“But, many of these issues shifts are down to people shifting from ‘Conservative” to ‘neither as well as people moving to Labour. That, along with the changes in vote share, shows how volatile the situation is at the moment.
Meanwhile, the Mail on Sunday has learned that as part of her inquiry into socialising in Mr Johnson’s No 10 flat, Ms Gray has been told about a ‘victory party’ held by friends of Carrie.
The bash allegedly happened on the night of November 13, 2020, after Dominic Cummings had left with his belongings in a box.
He had apparently lost a power fight with then Ms Symonds, and other advisers.
‘There was the sound of lots of banging and dancing and drinking, and a number of Abba tracks – including a triumphalist Winner Takes It All,’ a source said.
A spokesman for Mrs Johnson said: ‘It is totally untrue to suggest Mrs Johnson held a party in the Downing Street flat on November 13, 2020.’
As part of their probe, the Metropolitan Police may now conduct an investigation into this party and request Mrs Johnson’s written testimony.
After assessing the evidence dossier compiled by Ms Gray, the Metropolitan Police Commissioner Dame Cressida Dim announced that police have opened a criminal probe.
According to Ms Gray, eight of the 17 people she looked at will be under investigation by police.
The force clarified that it was investigating potential Covid violations, which are handled by fixed-term penalties notices.
According to Ms Gray, the wife of the Prime Minister has not been interviewed or approached by police.
Following the power struggle between Mrs Johnson and Mr Cummings, Mr Cummings was forced to resign as Johnson’s defacto chief of staff.
Before his departure, he claimed that there was an ‘party’ at the Downing Street Flat.
Civil servants in the building at the time were advised by officials to go to the Downing Street flat to apologise for not sufficiently supporting the Prime Minister’s then-fiancée.
One said, “They were told to kiss the ring and go up.”
This comes just as an ex-senior police officer suggested that Downing Street staff interviewed by Ms Gray might retract their statements.
Dai Davies was the former chief superintendent and in charge of Royal Protection. He told The Daily Mail that it is now a legal mess.
The law states that anyone who speaks to the inquiry can retract evidence, as they were not aware it could be used against them in criminal investigations.
Sources indicated that this possibility was possible, but Ms Gray would most likely send any changes to her report directly to police.
According to a source familiar with Ms Gray’s inquiry, the evidence that she gave to police was to be considered a “starting point”.
Met Police stated that suspects would be required to provide written evidence in order to complete its investigation. This seemed to contradict reports suggesting the Prime Minister might be interviewed under caution.
The long-awaited report of Ms. Gray is due to reach the Prime Minister in a matter of days.
Following the allegations that lockdown was being flouted by No10 which led to unrest in the government benches, the PM faces the threat of a coup
Recent research on Opinium suggests the Tories could be trying to regain some ground
Sue Gray was said to be given evidence regarding a party Carrie (pictured right), Carrie’s friends, in No11 Flat after Dominic Cummings (left), quit.
Partygate is being criticized by the Met. After first refusing to investigate, last week it announced a criminal inquiry days before the Sue Gray report was due to be published – and asking her to make ‘minimal references’ to parties at the centre of the row.
Ex-Justice of the Supreme Court Lord Sumption stated that Sue Gray was not entitled to be delayed in publishing her report by police and that it is against constitutional law that they did so.
There was also speculation that Johnson would be replaced by someone else in the leadership, should he become a dictator.
Yesterday, Tom Tugendhat was the first Conservative MP who declared his intent to run for the leadership.
Asked in a Times Radio interview which will air today whether he would like to be Prime Minister, the Tonbridge & Malling MP said: ‘It would be a huge privilege.’
He said, “It is up to us all to present ourselves. The electorate has the right to decide, whether it is their colleagues in parliament or the party.
A former soldier said that there was no vacancy currently and added that he wasn’t canvassing support.
Jeremy Hunt (the former Foreign Secretary, who finished second to Johnson in 2019’s leadership contest) recently stated that his desire to become a leader has not ‘completely disappeared’.
Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, Chancellor Rishi, and Home Secretary Priti Patel are the main contenders. Other potential candidates include Defence Secretary Ben Wallace (Home Secretary), Education Secretary Nadhimzahawi, Priti Patel and Penny Mordaunt (ex-Defense Secretary).
Last night, a spokesperson for No. 10 stated that she couldn’t comment on Gray’s inquiry.