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(based on 7 Day Print Pack)Among those who are expected toSteve Swin Deputy Political Editor
Oliver Wright Policy Editor
Boris Johnson told his most senior
aide to leave Downing Street with
immediate effect last night as he began
a clearout of the Brexiteers who have
run his government since he became
prime minister.
Dominic Cummings and Lee Cain,
head of communications, were told by
the prime minister to quit amid fears
that they would “poison the well” if they
were allowed to remain in post until the
end of the year, as planned.
Their departures represent the
conclusion of a vicious power struggle
at the heart of government in which the
two trusted aides were pitted against
the prime minister’s fiancée, Carrie
Symonds, who led moves to oust them.
There were concerns, however, that
the acrimonious end to the relationship
between Mr Johnson and the man
credited with delivering him his 80-seat
majority could spell longer-term
problems for the prime minister.
One senior Conservative source
was worried that Mr Cummings could
seek to “settle scores” and criticise Mr
Johnson and the government. Senior
figures said that a further clearout
could be triggered as aides appointed by
Mr Cummings and Mr Cain resigned or
were dismissed.
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Johnson tells chief aide to go in No 10 reset
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Dominic Cummings, the prime minister’s most senior adviser and architect of the
Vote Leave campaign, quit yesterday after a power struggle in Downing StreetYUI MOK/PAleave is Oliver Lewis, Lord Frost’s de-
facto deputy as chief Brexit negotiator
and a key ally of Mr Cummings. His
position was described as untenable.
Lord Frost himself is understood to
have sought reassurances from the
prime minister that he still backed his
strategy before deciding to stay on.
Others under threat include several
Downing Street strategists and a
number of advisers placed by Mr
Cummings across Whitehall.
“There will be a huge clearout,” one
government critic of Mr Johnson’s
former adviser said. “A lot of people
were there only because of their
relationship with Dom” but had ended
up in “relatively senior roles” and their
jobs would “obviously be pointless”.
The source predicted that the changes
would result in a less controlling
Downing Street operation, with
ministers reasserting their authority.
“Lord Sedwill [the former cabinet
secretary] used to go into meetings and
ask why there were no ministers there.
The whole way decisions are made in
Downing Street is going to change.”
The departure of Mr Cummings and
Mr Cain comes after a row over who
should be Mr Johnson’s chief of staff.
The prime minister was said to have
offered the role to Mr Cain before
withdrawing it after objections by Ms
Symonds and Allegra Stratton, his new
Continued on page 2, col 3SATURDAY
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