Boris Johnson’s top aide Dominic Cummings blamed for Sajid Javid walkout after Downing Street coup reshuffle
SAJID Javid dramatically resigned as Chancellor Thursday after Boris Johnson executed a ruthless government reshuffle to oust any minister that crossed him.
Westminster was rocked by Mr Javid’s walkout, that threw the PM’s long expected post-election refresh into chaos.
It came after No10 mounted an extraordinary power grab to take complete political control of the Treasury, including firing all five of Mr Javid’s special advisers.
Also in Boris’s Valentine’s eve massacre Thursday;
- Five more Cabinet ministers were fired during an early morning summons to see the PM in his Commons office,
- Boris shrunk the size of his Cabinet from 32 down to 26, relying on his big Commons majority to push eight hangers-on out of the room,
- Allies declared the overhaul a victory for the PM’s controversial chief aide Dominic Cummings, who clashed repeatedly with Mr Javid.
Seething at the Downing Street coup by his next door neighbour, Mr Javid issued a series of withering exocets directly at the PM Thursday night as well as his successor, the new Chancellor Rishi Sunak.
Former Tory leadership rival Mr Javid declared that “no self-respecting minister would accept those conditions”.
The long standing former Cabinet minister also accused the PM of undermining the Treasury’s credibility, as well as surrounding himself with Yes men.
Mr Javid – the first Chancellor to resign since Nigel Lawson in 1989 - wrote in his resignation letter to Boris: “It is crucial for the effectiveness of government that you have people around you who can give you clear and candid advice”.
He added outside his old house in Fulham, having abandoned his No11 flat: “The conditions which were attached was a requirement that I replaced all my political advisers.
“These are people who have worked incredibly hard on behalf of not just the government but the whole country, have done a fantastic job.
“I was unable to accept those conditions, I felt I was left with no option other than to resign.”
'DAVE & GEORGE' OPERATION
Affter appointing Mr Sunak in Mr Javid’s place, No10 also announced a new joint No10-No11 economic team was being set up to serve both the PM and the Chancellor.
In tense talks that lasted an hour in No10 on Thursday, Boris told Mr Javid he was enforcing the major change because he didn’t want “a cigarette paper” between their teams any more.
Instead, the PM said he wanted their working relationship to be “like Dave and George”, in reference to Mr Cameron and Mr Osborne’s tight operation during the Coalition government.
Mr Javid insisted he would not accept, in a conversation with the PM in front of Chief Whip Mark Spencer.
Boris then broke up the meeting for a five minute time out, and then asked Mr Javid into his study for the two men to talk alone.
Aides say Boris then spent 30 minutes trying to persuade Mr Javid not to resign, but refused to back down on his key new demand.
The “door remains open” for a return to Cabinet for him, the PM is also said to have made clear, having being left “somewhat surprised” by his walk out.
Mr Javid’s allies say he had been given no warning of the ultimatum, and had been in Birmingham with PM to launch HS2 less than 48 hours earlier.
The No10 power grab could have major ramifications for government borrowing and spending, it also emerged Thursday night.
No10 refused to that the strict new fiscal rules laid out in the Tories’ election manifesto, and demanded by Mr Javid, remain in place – signalling a fresh spending splurge is being planned.
It was also unclear whether the Budget is going ahead as planned, which Mr Javid was due to deliver in just 26 days time on March 11.
AXED MINISTERS
The PM also fired a raft of other outspoken ministers and others who crossed him or Mr Cummings.
Northern Ireland Secretary Julian Smith, Business Secretary Andrea Leadsom, Environment Secretary Theresa Villiers, Attorney General Geoffrey Cox and Housing Minister Esther McVey were all sacked by 10am.
The other sackings from a brutal day in Westminster
NORTHERN Ireland Secretary Julian Smith, Business Secretary Andrea Leadsom, Housing Minister Esther McVey, Environment Secretary Theresa Villiers, Attorney-General Geoffrey Cox were all fired by Boris this morning, in a brutal reshuffle.
Mr Smith was sacked even after he secured a historic power-sharing deal at Stormont.
He had been considered safe for his efforts, but the PM has booted him out over part of the deal which included an investigation into alleged crimes by British soldiers in the Troubles.
The cabinet was fully briefed on the deal, including the section on the investigations.
Attorney General Geoffrey Cox was given his marching orders just ten minutes before he was due to take AG questions in the House of Commons.
He was a loyal supporter to the PM and had asked to stay on.
Mr Cox reminded Boris of his dedication to the cause in his resignation letter.
He wrote: "You will recall that when I introduced you at your campaign launch... I said that in you we would have a Prime Minister who would ensure the Brexit process was led by politicians... who would see of the twin threats of Jeremy Corbyn and Nigel Farage."
"As I return to the backbenches, my aim will be to continue to support you and the Government."
The landmark reshuffle will see the PM promote a string of women to junior roles, as well as sacking three of them from Cabinet.
Nusrat Ghani was kicked out of her role as transport minister, Chris Skidmore from education and George Freeman out of transport.
Among their acts of perceived insubordination, ex-Northern Ireland Secretary Mr Smith is accused of making promises to Sinn Fein about legacy investigations behind the PM’s back, and Ms McVey challenged his refusal to build more council houses.
Others also fired out of the blue include Transport ministers George Freeman and Nus Ghani, Foreign Office minister Andrew Murrison, and Universities Minister Chris Skidmore.
Tory party chairman James Cleverly was also demoted, losing his Cabinet berth to become a mid-ranking Foreign Office minister.
Tweeting his news alongside a photo of his baby daughter, Mr Skidmore said: “Got a promotion in the reshuffle to be a better Dad with more time to spend with this gorgeous little one”.
Another sacked minister told The Sun he was “shocked and gutted”, adding: “The PM has been texting me his support. It’s clear this is a Dom Cummings cull of anyone who looks at all risky for them.
“Boris asked me to be a Disruptor Minister. Then his spads fire me for being disruptive.”
RESHUFFLE WINNERS
The day’s big winner was Suella Braverman, who was catapulted from the backbenches to the Cabinet when she was appointed the new Attorney General.
Others to do well were Anne-Marie Trevelyan, who also joins the Cabinet, promoted to be the new Secretary of State for International Development.
Another mid ranking minister George Eustice also joined the PM’s top table, as Environment Secretary, as does Amanda Milling as the new Tory chairman.
Mr Johnson also saved two of his old allies that No10 aides were also pushing him to sack, Defence Secretary Ben Wallace and Commons Leader Jacob Rees-Mogg.
Other Cabinet ministers remained in post, including Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab and Home Secretary Priti Patel.
The new Cabinet meets at 8.30am on Friday morning.
Whitehall grandees on Thursday night branded Boris’s power grab on the Treasury as a mistake.
A former Treasury civil service boss, Lord Macpherson, said: “Prime Ministers who seek to weaken it generally end up regretting it”. No10 also carried out a clear out of ministerial advisers they didn’t like.
The condition for Robert Buckland staying on as Justice Secretary was the sacking of his adviser Peter Cardwell, according to a government source.
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But unlike Mr Javid he accepted the condition.
No10 also tightened its grip on other aides, with the new Business Secretary Alok Sharma told he wasn’t allowed to take his adviser with him to his new department.
A raft of other aides will learn their fate at a meeting with top adviser Dominic Cummings Friday night, with several expected to be sacked or demoted.
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