Dominic Cummings, the chief political aide of Prime Minister Boris Johnson, is leaving his post with immediate effect, reports the BBC. The move comes after days of intrigue and backstabbing at Number 10 which also saw the departure of a top Cummings ally.
Cummings was in certain respects BoJo's Steve Bannon: a reactionary and somewhat unsavory favorite, disliked by the party but effective at its political wetwork, and ultimately a growing liability. Cummings at first said he would leave later this year, but is now disappearing immediately. The question is, why now? Laura Kuenssberg, the BBC's Downing Street-watcher, is unable to say much.
Laura Kuenssberg said his departure had been brought forward given the "upset in the team" in Downing Street, for which she said it had been a "difficult week". She said there had been long-running tensions between different factions in No 10 but this "slow burning fuse exploded fast when it finally happened".
The British right wing seems to be worried that with Brexit fast-approaching and ally Donald Trump soundly beaten in U.S. elections, the Prime Minister is about to cave in a big way to Europe. This can't be done with Cummings and his cronies running around No. 10.
