John McDonnell mocks Rishi Sunak as ‘deputy chancellor’ to No 10 aide  Dominic Cummings

Rishi Sunak was mocked as ‘deputy chancellor’ today by his Labour counterpart today, claiming he would be delivering ‘Dominic Cummings’ Budget in less than a fortnight.

Outgoing opposition finance chief John McDonnell said that the new Chancellor should not have taken the job after the sacking of Sajid Javid, only to end up ‘dominated by No 10’.

Mr Sunak took over last month after Mr Javid quit rather than acquiesce to a demand to sack his advisors and replace them with Cummings loyalists.

Appearing on Sky’s Ridge on Sunday today, Mr McDonnell said: ‘Sajid Javid said this, which I thought was right, ‘’no self-respecting minister would allow himself to be treated in this way’’ – have his staff sacked, moved off the site at gunpoint, and then his staff appointed by a policy adviser in No 10 .

‘If I was Rishi Sunak I wouldn’t have taken the job, I wouldn’t have taken it on those terms.

‘You then become the deputy to Dominic Cummings. That’s not good enough, you are then dominated by No 10.’

Me Sunak will deliver the Budget on March 11, despite rumours last month that he would seek to delay it to give him more time to prepare.

But Mr McDonnell questioned who was behind the economic blueprint for the post-Brexit era.

‘It’s Dominic Cummings’ budget, that is what is going to happen,’ he said.

‘He’s now going to follow the orders of a policy adviser in No10? No self-respecting chancellor would allow it, you need a strong Treasury to make sure the government stays on course and makes wise decisions.’