Dominic Cummings today called his old boss Boris Johnson a ‘complete shambles’ who will be thrown out of No 10 ‘by next year’ and also blamed his wife Carrie for his perilous position, branding her a ‘wrong ‘un’ who ‘wants to control the country via him’.
After losing a power battle with Mrs Johnson last December, the Prime Minister’s ex-chief aide left Downing Street and claimed that Mr Johnson’s decision to wed his third wife was an “inevitable catastrophe”.
In a Q&A on his blog, where he urged subscribers to ‘ask me anything’, he said: ‘He’s a shambles but the shambles has been made worse by hooking up with a wrong un [Carrie Johnson]Who wants to take over the country through him? He became unmarried, heard her screaming and fell into a flat-spin’.
Boris, the ex-civil servant who rebelled, claimed Boris “hasn’t heard the final” of the Christmas Party scandal. There will be photos to support this claim. The teenager also said he knows teens that would do better than the Prime Minister at the job.
His extraordinary attack on the Prime Minister’s wife came as she remained in hospital just 24 hours after giving birth to a baby girl.
Mr Johnson, who became a father for the seventh time yesterday, is under pressure to quit over his handling of covid, allegations of multiple illegal Christmas parties and claims he lied about the funding of the lavish Downing Street flat refurbishment including £800-plus a roll gold wallpaper.
He said that Johnson throws everyone under the curb to save himself, but for Tory MPs in 2022, he added: ‘I know 15 year-olds who would do a better job at PM in all ways than Boris, except giving a speech – he cant actually do anything other than the words/bullsh*t side of things’.
He stated, “He’s done. Gone by this year’s end, most likely summer.”
Dominic Cummings resigned from Downing Street following a fight with Carrie Johnson. Johnson he called an “inevitable disaster” for the Prim Minister.
Mr Cummings ran a Q&A on his paid-for blog where he laid into Carrie Johnson and said Mr Johnson’s relationship with her was an ‘inevitable disaster’
Although Mr Cummings stated that he did not regret his time at the PM, he again blamed his wife and some of his troubles on her.
Former chief advisor to No. 10 stated that the Christmas party issue at No. 10 would not be resolved – and claimed Boris was ‘lying about not knowing’
A 15-year-old boy would have a greater job as Prime Minister than Johnson, he said.
Cummings was kicked out of No 10 following a confrontation with Boris Johnson and claims he briefed against his then fiancée, who his allies were alleged to have called her ‘Princess Nut Nut’.
Today, the Tories warned that ‘patience was running out’ as Boris Johnson, the spin chief, was brought into the partygate row. His sleaze watchdog sought answers about the Downing Street flat refurbishment and the revolt of MPs over Covid curbs.
After claiming he delivered a speech at Downing Street’s lockdown-busting, boozy holiday gathering last year, the PM has been forced to admit that he is now fighting on many fronts.
According to Mr Cummings, he believes the Prime Minister was aware of the Christmas party that took place on December 18, 2020. He may even have seen it happen if he was not at Chequers.
He replied, “He knew it but I do not think that he went to school. But he does remember some geography. In order to go upstairs, he had to pass the place where he could view it.”
“Obv, he was lying. Whitehall was notified that invites were being sent. It was an official party. The trolley know this and tried to lie his way out but was f***ed by the video’ – a reference to the Allegra Stratton leak.
Tweeted that he had added, “There’s lots more pictures of the parties, which will undoubtedly get out.” Invite lists that go beyond 10, to other departments.
Mr Cummings alleged earlier this week there was a bash in No 10 on the evening of November 13 last year, hours after he was kicked out.
Today, The Prime Minister expressed his regret for Allegra Stanton’s footage, which he used to be the spokesperson of the government. He apologized at the mock press conference that was held on December 18, 2020 about the party.
He insisted, however that he was repeatedly told that there wasn’t a party to the Covid scandal and no Covid rules had been broken. Johnson stated that he asked Simon Case, Cabinet Secretary, to ‘examine all facts’ and report back as quickly as possible. It is obvious that any violation of those rules will result in disciplinary actions for everyone involved.
Following the announcement, the PM’s former chief adviser tweeted: ‘Will the CABSEC also be asked to investigate the *flat* party on Fri 13 Nov, the other flat parties, & the flat’s ‘bubble’ policy…?’. It is thought that the bubble refers to Carrie Johnson’s decision to let Nimco Ali, Carrie’s friend at Number 10, over the festive period to ‘help support and care for’ Wilfred Johnson.
A few minutes later, the Commons asked the PM about the claims of Downing St parties in his apartment after Mr Cummings had left No 10. He answered. He replied, “No. But I am certain that regardless of what happened, the guidance was always followed.”
There are also claims that on November 27 that Mr Johnson reportedly gives a speech at a packed leaving do for a ‘senior aide’. There were at least 40 or 50 participants. The aide was named as one newspaper as Cleo Watson, Dominic Cummings’ protégé.
Downing Street has been in turmoil from infighting between factional members since the coronavirus crises that saw Team Cummings expelled.
Cummings was accused of being misogyny toward Carrie. He clashed with Carrie repeatedly up until his departure from Downing Street in November last year. It was alleged that his associates referred to Carrie as “Princess Nut Nut”, which angered Johnson, who then got married.
At a marathon evidence session in May with MPs on the Government’s response to the coronavirus crises, Johnson’s former top advisor attacked him without mercy.
A series of shocking claims threatens to undermine Mr Johnson’s primacy during the joint session of science and health select committees.
Westminster was shocked when Mr Cummings stated that Johnson is ‘unfit’ for the role of PM.
Vote Leave maverick, John Johnson, said that it was “crackers” that Johnson ended up at Number 10, as Johnson painted an image of someone who’s vain and dispirited and obsessed with media.
M. Cummings stated to MPs that Johnson changed his mind ‘everytime the Telegraph published an editorial.
Johnson said Mr Johnson is “about a thousand-times too obsessed with media” and claimed it was not surprising that pandemic communications have sometimes resembled an ‘uncertain zone’. The PM changes his mind ten times daily.
Boris Johnson, a sleaze watchdog accused him of lying about his lavish renovation of Downing Street’s flat.
Official reports revealed that Lord Brownlow, a Tory donor, had requested more money from the Prime Minister than one year prior.
But Mr Johnson previously assured Lord Geidt, the Independent Adviser on Ministers’ Interests, that he did not know who was paying for the £112,549 refurbishment at the time.
He could now face yet another probe into the ‘wallpapergate’ scandal, exposed by the Daily Mail, in the wake of the damning findings by the Electoral Commission.
The commission yesterday fined the Conservative Party £17,800 for breaking political finance law over the saga.
Downing Street insisted Mr Johnson had not lied to his adviser and said: ‘The Prime Minister has acted in accordance with the rules at all times and he acted following discussions with Lord Geidt. He has made all necessary declarations.’
Dominic Cummings was Dominic’s former right-handman and he put the PM under pressure. He was there when redecoration work was being done on the upper floors of No 11.
He wrote on Twitter that he had told the PM ‘in extremely blunt and unrepeatable terms’ in January and the summer of 2020 that ‘his desire for secret donations to fund wallpaper etc was illegal and unethical’.
Mr Cummings said: ‘He pursued it throughout the year trying to keep me/others in dark and lied to Geidt/CCHQ [Conservative Party headquarters] to cover it up.’ He added: ‘I’ve said repeatedly for months: a) obviously PM lied to Geidt, b) Geidt could only conclude as he did by … not interviewing anybody actually involved with the flat!’
In February this year this newspaper told how Mr Johnson’s wife Carrie had been plotting against a ‘female Whitehall official who refused to sign off a large taxpayers’ bill for her refurbishment of the Downing Street flat, including expensive wallpaper’.
The Mail then revealed how secret plans had been hatched to get Tory donors to pay for the decoration by eco-friendly interior designer Lulu Lytle, as the PM privately complained he could not afford the ‘gold wallpaper’ Mrs Johnson was buying.
It was also possible to create a trust charitable for the preservation of Downing Street’s historic buildings. The Trust was chaired by Lord Brownlow (Tory donor).
Simon Case, Cabinet Secretary, learned about the scandal through this newspaper. He began to investigate and sent his findings to Lord Geidt, ministerial watchdog.
In May Lord Geidt cleared the PM of breaching the ministerial code, only saying that he had ‘unwisely’ ‘allowed the refurbishment of the apartment at No 11 Downing Street to proceed without more rigorous regard for how this would be funded’.
This conclusion was based on Mr Johnson telling him ‘that he knew nothing about such payments until immediately prior to media reports in February 2021’.
But a separate investigation by the Electoral Commission, which published its findings yesterday, uncovered evidence that on November 29, 2020, the Prime Minister ‘messaged Lord Brownlow via WhatsApp asking him to authorise further, at that stage unspecified, refurbishment works on the residence’.
The report provides the most detailed account yet of the complex web of payments, totalling £112,549.12, involved in doing up the flat.
Invoices were paid initially by the Cabinet Office. CCHQ then repaid the money and Lord Brownlow’s firm Huntswood Associates donated to the party. In order to clear up the mess, Mr Johnson settled the bill directly with the designer earlier this year – so she had to pay back those who had originally paid her.
The Electoral Commission found that the majority of the £67,801 given to the Tories by Lord Brownlow’s firm last October should have been reported as a donation, but was not.
The party was fined for ‘failing to accurately report the full value of the donation’ and ‘contravening the requirement to keep proper accounting records’.
Labour’s deputy leader Angela Rayner said: ‘The Prime Minister must now explain why he lied to the British public saying he didn’t know who was behind No 11 flat refurb – all the while he was WhatsApping the donor asking for more money.
‘He’s not only broken the law but made a mockery of the standards we expect from our prime ministers.’ She has asked Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards Kathryn Stone to investigate the discrepancy between what the PM told Lord Geidt and what the Electoral Commission found.
A spokesman for the watchdog’s office declined to comment.
A CCHQ spokesman said: ‘We have been in constant contact with the Electoral Commission and have sought their advice as to how the transaction should be reported since it was made. We are considering whether to appeal.’
Cummings Brexit Boys and Carrie Symonds: Who is who?
Cummings seen outside Downing Street wearing one of his outfits which has made him an unremarkable style icon
TEAM CAAIN
Dominic Cummings
Age: 48
Official title: Chief Adviser for the Prime Minister
Boris Johnson’s eccentric Svengali was a national sensation for locking down Barnard Castle in order to “test his eyesight” before returning to London.
Lee Cain was the former Vote Leave director. He backed Lee Cain’s former campaign staffer to be his chief of staff. It triggered a nasty wrangle between Carrie Johnson and Lee Cain who warned that it would prove disastrous.
Cummings is well-known for his humorous demeanour, preference for hoodies over suits and for wearing’slob style’ jackets instead of suits. He eventually lost the tug-of war, leading to Cain’s resignation.
According to reports, he has a complicated relationship with Carrie. She was not happy with his aggressive political approach and tendency to “pick unnecessary fights” which might harm the image of the PM.
Born in County Durham, Mr Cummings is now married to Mary Wakefield. Mary Wakefield is a senior journalist at the Spectator magazine. Boris Johnson was once editor of this Tory bible.
Cleo Watson, Cummings’ ally seen outside of No10
Cleo Watson
Age: 31
Official title: Head of the Prime Minister’s Priorities and Campaigns
This has been a common scene in Downing Street. Photographers throng the No 10 doors looking for photos of Cleo Watson and Dominic Cummings.
Watson was Cummings’ special adviser and the pair share a close relationship, with one Whitehall source describing her as ‘the Cummings whisperer’ because she is one of very few people who can calm him down when he flies into a rage.
Watson is the fifth of five sisters who have achieved great success. Her story might be a Jane Austen book. In fact, Watson is only the second member of her family to be closely associated with a Tory leader. Annabel (41), her sister, is Theresa May’s Chief of Staff.
Watson worked with Vote Leave during the 2016 EU referendum, before landing a top job in the policy unit in No 10 during May’s premiership.
Oliver Lewis is another Vote Left member, and he works at No10
Oliver Lewis (nickname “Sonic”)
Age– Late 20s
Official title: Brexit policy adviser
Oliver Lewis, an ex-vote leave staffer, is now a Brexit policy adviser. Cummings is well known for calling him ‘Sonic.’
Oxford-educated Lewis is closely working with Michael Gove to prepare No Deal. He was inspired to create a huge spreadsheet by Cummings to model different scenarios using NASA techniques.
Additionally, he has worked in close collaboration with David Frost (chief Brexit negotiator) and was earlier accused by EU sources that he had repeatedly tried to stop negotiations.
CARRIE’S CREW
Carrie Symonds, seen in Whitehall at the Remembrance Day Service on Sunday, has become a formidable force in Downing Street
Carrie Johnson
Age: 32
Official titleNA
Boris Johnson’s wife, and an ex-head of media at the Conservative Party. She has been a major force in Number10.
Cummings’s wife is known for having a trouble relationship. He tried to block his request to install Lee Cain, his ally as chief of staff to the PM.
After a brutal standoff, Symonds was victorious. Cain announced his resignation while Cummings stated that he is also contemplating his position.
Symonds was born in West London and went to Godolphin and Latymer School for girls and University of Warwick.
After working for the Tory party since 2009, her affair, now 56 years old, made headlines.
She is a passionate conservationist and had an immediate impact on the government’s policy following the cancellation of the Derbyshire badger cull. This was a decision that resulted in thousands of animals being saved.
Allegra Straton could soon become Boris Johnson’s face at the new US TV Press Briefings
Allegra Stratton
Age: 39
Official title: No10 Press Secretary
Allegra Stronton, a journalist, who was poised to take the lead in Downing Street’s first-ever televised US style press briefings, was at the heart of the power battle that broke out.
She insisted that she would only answer to Cain after her appointment. Boris gave the position of chief of staff to the ex-journalist of the Daily Mirror, fearing that he would be left behind.
Stratton and her allies intervened, determined to stop that from ever happening.
Stratton was a well-respected journalist who worked for ITV and Guardian. He helped Chancellor Rishi Panak create his public image, before he was poached and replaced by No10.
Stratton is a fully paid-up member of the metropolitan elite who was educated at Latymer Upper School in London (fees, £21,000 a year) and studied anthropology and archaeology at Cambridge. James Forsyth (the political editor for the Spectator) is her husband.
Munira Mirza, the brilliant head of No10’s Policy Unit is a phenomenally bright individual.
Munira Mirza
Age: 42
Official title: Director of the Number 10 Policy Unit
Munira Mirza, the brilliant and highly respected head of Downing Street’s policy unit is a great example.
Boris’ long-time aide since his days as London mayor. She prefers to be away from the spotlight but it is said that she made her objection to Cain’s nomination clear.
This Oldham-born academic is popular around No10. “She is a big brain, but she doesn’t wear it lightly.” Boris “listens” to her according to one source.
Mirza was born in Pakistan and moved to Britain with her parents. Mirza learned Urdu from her mother while her father went into manufacturing.
She attended Breeze High School and Oldham Sixth Form College, where she was the only pupil to gain a place at Oxford, where she studied English Literature.
Mirza was a Revolutionary Communist Party member. He is currently a member of Johnson’s Circle and has been named by the PM among the five women that have shaped Johnson’s life.