Boris Johnson’s old chief aide Dominic Cummings will give evidence to the Covid inquiry today after extraordinary details of No10 infighting emerged.
The former No10 staffer is set to be grilled at the official probe after an appearance by ex-Downing Street communications director Lee Cain.
The pair were some of Mr Johnson’s closest allies – but are now sworn enemies, and are expected to slam his leadership during the pandemic.
Mr Cummings is also likely to take aim at old foe Matt Hancock during his evidence, having mocked the former Health Secretary for his reality TV appearances on social media overnight.
Boris Johnson’s old chief aide Dominic Cummings pictured heading to give evidence to the Covid inquiry today, after extraordinary details of No10 infighting emerged
Mr Johnson, pictured out running in Oxfordshire this morning, has yet to give his own account to the inquiry
The inquiry has been shown extraordinary WhatsApp messages from Cabinet Secretary Simon Case in which he slated Boris Johnson for ‘changing the calls on the big plays every day’
Mr Case also sent messages complaining that the government looked like a ‘terrible, tragic joke’
An exchange with Mr Cummings from August 2020 saw Mr Case level more criticism at Mr Johnson
During a long session on Covid with the Commons Health Committee in May 2021 the former aide condemned the Department of Health as a ‘smoking ruin’.
Mr Johnson has yet to give his own account to the inquiry.
Mr Cummings was Mr Johnson’s top political aide in Downing Street from July 2019, having previously led Vote Leave in the Brexit referendum, and was credited with masterminding the Tories’ election triumph.
He was asked to leave government by Mr Johnson in November 2020, after seemingly losing a bitter power struggle. Mr Cain, another Vote Leave veteran, quit a day before.
Mr Cummings’ departure came months after it emerged he had driven from London to Barnard Castle in County Durham with his family at the end of March 2020, when the Government had instructed people to stay at home.
The inquiry heard yesterday that the Government became highly ‘dysfunctional’ during the pandemic.
WhatsApp messages shown to witnesses hinted at the turmoil at the heart of power.
A message sent by Cabinet Secretary Simon Case to Mr Cummings said Mr Johnson kept changing stance, complaining that he ‘cannot lead and we cannot support him in leading with this approach’.
Mr Case’s message added: ‘A weak team (as we have got – Hancock, Williamson, Dido (Harding, former chairman of NHS Improvement and now a Tory peer)… definitely cannot succeed in these circs [sic]. IT HAS TO STOP! Decide and set direction, deliver, explain.
‘[Government] isn’t actually that hard but this guy is really making it impossible.’
Mr Case is currently on sick leave for an undisclosed medical condition, but is expected to give evidence at some stage.
Mr Cummings was said to wield phenomenal influence, with one adviser claiming he was ‘the most empowered chief of staff’ Downing Street had seen.
Martin Reynolds, the ex-prime minister’s former principal private secretary, said Mr Cummings ‘was the person whose writ ruled, who was able to drive things through the machine in the way I suspect few other chiefs of staff have done’. Mr Cummings, who has repeatedly sought to undermine Mr Johnson since the pair’s working relationship ended in acrimony in November 2020, is due to give evidence today.
The former No10 chief is set to be grilled at the official probe after an appearance by ex-Downing Street communications director Lee Cain (pictured today)
Mr Case is currently on sick leave for an undisclosed medical condition, but is expected to give evidence at some stage
Extracts from Patrick Vallance’s notebooks show he complained about being pushed to do a press conference that would be ‘political’, and slated a ‘rambling opening to Cabinet’ by Mr Johnson
Mr Reynolds admitted that coronavirus plans were ‘inadequate to deal with the nature of the crisis we were confronted with’.
He said Mr Johnson ‘blew hot and cold’ on some Covid decision-making in the early days of the pandemic.
Mr Reynolds was dubbed ‘Party Marty’ after he organised a notorious ‘bring your own booze’ Downing Street garden party – something he apologised for at the end of his evidence yesterday. He told the inquiry: ‘I would like to say how sorry I am for my part in those events.’
But he said coverage of that party did not undermine public confidence in the Government at the time, because it did not emerge until months later.
Mr Johnson has faced repeated claims he failed to properly consider the impact of Covid but Mr Reynolds said he could not remember his former boss dismissing it as not a ‘big deal’.
He said: ‘He was concerned that if we reacted in a certain way we could actually generate a sense of panic and concern which would be counterproductive.’
Mr Reynolds quit No 10 in February 2022 as part of a clear-out of senior aides in the wake of the Partygate scandal.
The Covid inquiry is being chaired by Baroness Hallett (pictured at the hearing yesterday)