Dominic Cummings arrived home with a bottle of champagne tonight after Boris Johnson ordered him to leave Downing Street for good.
After a week of turmoil, the Prime Minister told his most senior adviser to go with immediate effect in a bid to end the toxic rows at No 10.
Lee Cain, who announced his resignation as Mr Johnson’s director of communications on Wednesday after Carrie Symonds thwarted his promotion to chief of staff, was also sent home.
It was claimed last night that Mr Johnson had accused the pair of Vote Leave campaign veterans of briefing against his fiancée.
In a tense 45-minute meeting he is reported to have shown them incriminating text messages which had been forwarded to his fiancée. The explosive claims were denied by No10.
It is understood that Mr Cummings and Mr Cain will be on gardening leave until mid-December. Mr Cummings may continue to work from home to tie up loose ends, but neither man is expected back at No 10.
A Downing Street source said Mr Johnson ‘wanted to clear the air so the Government can move forward’.
Downing Street said that Sir Edward Lister, a long-serving adviser to Mr Johnson, would become chief of staff ‘for an interim period pending a permanent appointment to the post’.
Former chancellor Sajid Javid was tonight being touted to fill the highly-coveted role which will see him back in the upper echelons of Government after resigning in February.
Although a serving MP, he is a friend of Ms Symonds and is reportedly spearheading a shift from the aggressive campaigning politics practiced by Mr Cumming’s Vote Leave faction to a more cohesive No10 operation.
Carrying a cardboard box, Mr Cummings left Number 10 aide earlier this evening by the famous black front door in full glare of the cameras before travelling back to his west London home, where he was later pictured walking in tracksuits and trainers while carrying a bag full of champagne and wine.
His departure was cheered by Tory MPs who have grown frustrated with the ‘incompetent’ handling of the coronavirus crisis, and clumsy U-turns on issues such as free school meals during the holidays.
Members of the Cabinet have also complained that they have been excluded from decisions on handling coronavirus. Some policies have been revealed to them just minutes before they were announced to the public.
One senior Tory said last night: ‘Gosh, maybe we will now get to actually fulfil our roles as Cabinet ministers.’
Dominic Cummings arrived home clutching a bag of alcohol tonight after Boris Johnson ordered him to leave Downing Street for good
The Prime Minister’s chief aide chose to walk out into the full glare of the Downing Street cameras tonight carrying a large cardboard box
Boris Johnson had initially offered to promote communications Lee Cain to become chief of staff. But he dropped the plan following objections from his partner Carrie Symonds (pictured with Mr Johnson)
Mr Cummings outside his west London home, where he was pictured in tracksuits and trainers
Boris Johnson (pictured leaving Downing Street today) is believed to want to ‘reset’ his government with a new ‘softer’ image
A painting was also seen being loaded into a van in Downing Street this afternoon
Mr Cummings’ departure and the ongoing turmoil inside No 10 came as:
- Politicians of all stripes lined up to cheer the departure of the maverick No10 adviser;
- There were claims in Brussels a less abrasive Number 10 could secure a breakthrough in Brexit negotiations;
- Nigel Farage said he feared the departure of Vote Leave veterans Mr Cummings and Mr Caine could result in a watered-down Brexit;
- Tory MPs cast doubt on whether Mr Johnson will lead the party into the next election amid the No10 revolt;
- Allegra Stratton, the new No10 aide to front televised press briefings, mysteriously tweeted, and then hastily deleted, a picture of former Middlesbrough manager Tony Pulis, who was sacked after failing to clinch promotion;
- Scientists warned Christmas could still be at risk even though the R rate has been brought down to 1.
The Prime Minister summoned Mr Cummings and Mr Cain for a lunchtime meeting to discuss their ‘general behaviour’.
He confronted them with hostile texts which had been sent to Ms Symonds and scolded them for throwing the government into turmoil, before telling them to get out and never return, according to the Financial Times.
Mr Cummings left with a parting swipe at the PM, telling allies Mr Johnson is ‘indecisive’, according to the Telegraph.
Despite several back exits available to him, Mr Cummings opted to leave No10 by the front door, where the press pack were positioned.
A former adviser said of Mr Cummings’ decision to leave through the front door: ‘Such an attention seeker.’
Workmen were also seen in Downing Street this afternoon loading pictures into a van.
Downing Street insiders dismissed claims that Mr Cummings would be offered another key role – such as a part-time job advising on technology. A No10 source said: ‘Once you are gone, you are gone.’
Jubilant Tories reacted to the bombshell events by gloating ‘Vote Leave has left!’, while a former adviser swiped ‘goodbye and good riddance’. Senior MP Bernard Jenkin said it was an opportunity to restore ‘integrity and trust’.
Another MP said of Mr Johnson: ‘If he doesn’t start listening to backbenchers then he will gone too… the talk of the tearooms is already how soon will he be gone, and who will replace him.’
Senior Conservative backbencher Sir Roger Gale told Times Radio: ‘I think the right thing has happened – I think it is belated. I have been saying for months that since Barnard Castle incident Dominic Cummings’ position is untenable. And it’s got more untenable as he’s increasingly become the story.
‘When you’ve got a PM trying to deal with the biggest crisis since the Second World War and Brexit negotiations, to have a bunch of schoolkids squabbling in Downing Street just isn’t the solution.’
He added: ‘I would like the Prime Minister to see this as an opportunity to muck out the stable and get in the team of people he really needs and deserves behind him.’
Former Cabinet minister Theresa Villiers also welcomed the ‘good opportunity for a fresh start’.
‘Clearly there are concerns about the dismissive attitude sometimes shown by Lee Cain and Dominic Cummings,’ she added. ‘This is an opportunity to… have a more collaborative approach.’
Gavin Barwell, former chief of staff to PM Theresa May, tweeted: ‘Big moment: Boris now has an opportunity to get a more harmonious, effective Downing Street operation (like he had at City Hall); improve relations with the parliamentary party; and lead a less confrontational, more unifying government that better reflects his own character.’
Sir Edward served in Mr Johnson’s City Hall administration, but the 71-year-old will not take on the role permanently and is believed to want to soon leave Downing Street.
After a week of turmoil, the Prime Minister told his most senior adviser to go with immediate effect in a bid to end the toxic rows at No 10
The maverick chief aide is set to leave Downing Street by Christmas after a brutal reckoning that saw his closest ally Lee Cain fall on his sword, having failed to secure the key role of Mr Johnson’s chief of staff
It came as one of Ms Symonds friends was tipped to fill the vacant position, if it is filled. The Telegraph reported that former chancellor Sajid Javid was being lined up for the role
The Telegraph reported that Mr Javid was being lined up for the role, an appointment that would raise eyebrows as Mr Javid only quit No11 recently after Mr Johnson backed his aide Cummings rather than his top minister in a row over advisers.
It would be rather a step down for an MP who had held one of the great Offices of State and who recently landed a lucrative second job with US bank JP Morgan.
A source close to the former chancellor said: ‘Sajid thinks getting an experienced chief of staff is a good idea, but it’s not a role he has ever been offered or considered for himself.’
One ally of Mr Javid cast doubt on him filling the role, however they did tell MailOnline: ‘I would expect to see Saj come back into government soon though.’
Were Mr Cummings to be replaced by the former chancellor it would be revenge for the way that Mr Javid lost his ministerial role in February.
The Bromsgrove MP – who challenged Mr Johnson for the Tory leadership last year before becoming his top minister – was given an ultimatum by the PM that he must accept his political advisers being ousted and replaced by Cummings loyalists to stay in No11.
Mr Cummings had been especially furious at the Treasury over a series of briefings and leaks he blamed on ‘rogue’ operatives in No11.
Flashpoints included the Budget in March, a ‘mansion tax’ and Mr Javid’s determination to push ahead with the HS2 rail link. Instead of capitulating, Mr Javid chose to walk away and was replaced by his deputy Rishi Sunak.
There is speculation that other key aides close to Mr Cummings could choose to walk out, while Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove faces seeing his influence diminished as he has lost an important supporter in No10.
Downing Street said that Sir Edward Lister, a long-serving adviser to Mr Johnson, would become chief of staff ‘for an interim period pending a permanent appointment to the post’
Mr Cummings returned to his west London home this evening (pictured leaving this morning)
Mr Johnson is now believed to want to soften the government’s image and recover his reputation as a One Nation Tory, encouraged by Ms Symonds, 32, – herself an experience political operator and former head of media at CCHQ.
There is expected to be more focus on environmental issues, and a less combative stance on overhauling the civil service and BBC – issues that Mr Cummings had been championing.
There were claims in Brussels that the shift could increase the chances of the premier compromising to get a post-Brexit trade deal over the line.
But Nigel Farage warned the departure of Vote Leave campaign veterans Mr Cummings and Mr Cain could result in the Government capitulating to EU demands and delivering a watered-down Brexit.
He tweeted: ‘It is well documented that I have never liked Dominic Cummings but he has backed Brexit. Seeing him leave Number 10 carrying a cardboard box tells me a Brexit sell-out is close.’
Mr Symonds’ allies in Number 10 include Allegra Stratton, the recently appointed ex-journalist who will front White House-style press briefings.
Following Mr Cummings’s departure tonight, she tweeted, and then hastily deleted, a picture of former Middlesbrough manager Tony Pulis, who was sacked after failing to clinch promotion.
However, there is renewed scepticism on his own benches over whether Mr Johnson will be in charge much longer, despite having won an historic majority at the election less than a year ago. Asked whether Mr Johnson would fight the next election, one senior MP told MailOnline: ‘Good God, no.’
Dominic Cummings, pictured in Westminster today, is expected to leave his current role before Christmas
Mr Cain, an ally of Mr Cummings, quit on Wednesday night after Mr Johnson’s change of heart. He was Mr Johnson’s director of communications
The web of connections in Downing Street, which has been reeling from factional infighting during the coronavirus crisis
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said yesterday Mr Cummings ‘will be missed’, but but swiped that ‘advisers do come and go’.
Mr Shapps told Sky News: ‘As he wrote right at the beginning of the year in his own words, he planned to make himself largely redundant this year with the big thing that he worked on, of course, which was Brexit, coming to an end at the end of the transition period, which is December 31.
‘Of course, the other big thing is helping to ensure we have the roll-out mass testing to defeat this virus. Both these things are on the near-term horizon now.
‘He will be missed but then again we’re moving into a different phase and Brexit will be, we’ve already left Europe, but the transition period will be over and things move on and advisers do come and go.’
Sir Bernard, chairman of the powerful Commons Liaison Committee told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme the news represented ‘an opportunity to reset how the Government operates and to emphasise some values about what we want to project as a Conservative Party in Government’.
‘I would suggest there are three words that need to become the watch words in Downing Street – they are respect, integrity and trust.
‘Certainly in the relationship between the Downing Street machine and the parliamentary party there’s been a very strong sense that has been lacking in recent months.
‘Now we hope the Prime Minister will choose people around him who will help him restore that relationship.’
He added: ‘I’m not surprised in a way that it is ending in the way it is. No prime minister can afford a single adviser to become a running story, dominating his Government’s communications and crowding out the proper messages the Government wants to convey.
‘Nobody is indispensable.’