Prime Minister bans Cabinet big-guns from key meetings in bid to show who’s boss
Theresa May puts several noses out of joint as she sweeps away the 'chumocracy' style of government led by David Cameron
THERESA May is freezing out senior ministers from daily decision-making as she ruthlessly shows who is boss.
The PM has put several noses out of joint by banning Cabinet big guns and top officials from key Downing Street meetings.
Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson and Chancellor Philip Hammond have been excluded from morning strategy powwow as Mrs May asserts her authority.
She is determined to sweep away the “chumocracy” style of government run by her predecessor David Cameron.
But the move risks stirring up tensions within the Cabinet as she and her aides seize full control of the levers of power.
Mr Hammond is said to have voiced concerns about the level of access to the PM given to him and his officials.
When Mr Cameron was in charge, Chancellor George Osborne, Treasury aides, the chief whip and other ministers, such as Oliver Letwin, all attended the 8.30am planning meeting at Number 10.
This is a daily get-together where all major announcements and up-coming decisions were thrashed out.
But now a tiny group of officials, led by Mrs May’s chiefs of staff, are in the room.
A source said: “Theresa is determined to do things her own way.
“This is a new government and business will be run in a new way.
“Things have changed around here.
“Some people are just looking back at the old way of doing things and don’t like change.”
But friends of Mr Hammond say he has clashed with Number 10 aides over the direction of economic and business policy.
Mrs May wants to make plans for a new workplace culture highlight of her speech to the Tory conference next month.
But at a Cabinet committee last week, the Chancellor voiced concerns over new rules on foreign takeovers of UK companies, bosses pay and putting workers on boards.
In a “fearless” intervention, he bluntly warned the PM “it would be hugely damaging to go down that route”.
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He warned that Britain can’t be seen to be closing its doors to overseas firms when investment from abroad will be vital to keeping the economy on track as Britain negotiates Brexit.
Mrs May sat quietly and listened as he was then supported by several other Cabinet colleagues.
Mr Hammond has denied reports sweeping Whitehall that he told an ex-minister he would walk away unless he had more face time with the PM.
A source insisted: “Philip has a perfectly good relationship with Number 10, the Prime Minister and her officials.
“There is a new system in place for the 8.30 meeting.
“The Chancellor and the PM speak regularly and there are no concerns on that front.”