Attacks of the ousted prime minister’s assistant left the new press president in tears | Governors

Designated Woman Boris Johnson To lead his daily press operations, she was left in tears on Saturday after it was alleged to have been the subject of negative briefings by the former No.10 official who resigned last week and dramatically walked out of Downing Street.

In an unusual escalation of the rift between new and departing Johnson aides, friends of Allegra Stratton, the prime minister’s new press secretary, said she was “crying all morning” as a result of what she believed were critical briefings by Johnson. Former Director of Communications, Lee Kane.

Stratton, who will be the public face of the government, believes that Cain told several journalists in the past 24 hours that she was not the first choice for a job and was not at the top of the committee’s list chosen to be high-ranking. an appointment. Cain is a close ally of Dominic CummingsFormer Johnson’s closest advisor, who also resigned last week and was told to leave on Friday.

This news came at a time when the allies of Cummings and Cain said that their enemies in the government were “determined to set it on fire.” [Johnson’s] The premiership “with a” tsunami of toxic briefings “that would ultimately undermine the government.” It’s a bloodbath, isn’t it? “Said another government figure.

Stratton, ex guardian The TV journalist who worked for the chancellor, Rishi Sunak, prior to his appointment by Johnson, was said to be deeply concerned, as the reason for her taking the position was to help restore civility and some order to Downing Street, a close friend of Stratton said: “Allegra is very upset. He was the one who asked her to do the job several times.She didn’t apply to do so, but Johnson appealed to her sense of public duty.

She wants to expand the attractiveness of this government. She loves and respects Johnson. But she thinks that this government has so far managed to make enemies and cut off the road to fighting, and that this government has narrowed its appeal and should work better. ”Stratton later said to Foreman: “Yes, I am upset because I was just trying to do the right thing by the state. And the country does not want to be run by people in Number 10 who treat people roughly and unhappy.”

Her decision to break the lid comes after an unusual week in which Cummings, Johnson’s closest and most controversial adviser, and Ken, the prime minister’s communications director, urged them to leave Downing Street without delay on Friday. The move came on the heels of disagreements over leaks of government announcements and premature claims – reported in some media – that Cain would become Johnson’s new chief of staff. Another friend of Stratton said she believed Cain “was telling reporters that she wasn’t first in arranging the job … that they didn’t want her. There was a tug of war between her and Lee and Dom.”

Understandably, Stratton made it clear during discussions about her appointment that she would not serve under Cain, due to what she considered his surprising approach and treatment of junior advisors. Her decision to make a public statement prior to the start of the daily briefings is evidence of just how dangerous the inner war inside Terminal 10 is.

Cain’s allies said Saturday night that he “never saw anyone” and added that the former communications director “was always clear that Allegra was the prime minister’s first choice.”

However, supporters of Cummings and Kayen indicated that she performed less well than the other candidates in the interviews and did not impress focus groups like others. High-ranking sources indicated in Issue 10 on Saturday evening that the prime minister is now preparing to make major changes to his teams in both Downing Street and the government, with a cabinet reshuffle “in January, or maybe sooner.”

One of them said, “We have to strengthen the cabinet and fill the vacant positions so that there are changes.” According to a government source, Johnson was warned that Stratton’s appointment would represent “cronyism” due to her friendship with Carrie Symonds, the prime minister’s fiancée and former director of communications for the Conservative Party. An opponent of Stratton’s appointment said BBC journalist Eli Price was “head and shoulders” over other candidates during the formal job selection process. Despite the departure of Cummings and Kane, Johnson is understood to have told a group of Downing Street officials that he wanted to bring the “squad together” for the 2024 election.

Cain resigned after the fallout from Stratton’s appointment. It is understood that the Prime Minister tried to reverse the decision and offered him the role of Chief of Staff, but Qabil resigned after the news of the job offer was leaked.

Informed sources said that there is clear discomfort among the prime minister’s team as the repercussions continue, as aides sounded hard to make sure that there would be no further resignations. “It’s bloody even by Westminster standards,” said one of the characters in Whitehall. “It’s almost embarrassing. The one who suffers is the prime minister, he’s a good guy trying to do very difficult things. It’s a big distraction.”