Boris Johnson's top strategy guru was seen being whisked through Downing Street's back gate, as the Prime Minister lurches towards a turbulent new year.
Australian strategist Isaac Levido, who masterminded Mr Johnson's 2019 election landslide was snapped showing his ID to gain access to the street through the rear entrance - away from most press cameras.
He was accompanied by Michael Brooks - with whom Levido co-founded Fleetwood Strategy.
The firm was handed a £124,000 Covid contract by the Cabinet Office in April 2020 for "research into government communications for Covid-19 updates."
Number 10 was last night tight-lipped about whether Mr Levido’s visit was to improve the Prime Minister’s plunging poll numbers or to help with strategy for a new raft of Covid restrictions.
Mr Johnson still faces the looming threat of a challenge to his leadership in the new year.
It follows months of bungled sleaze scandals, revelations about lockdown-busting parties and slumping poll numbers.
And he faces anger from his own lockdown-sceptic backbenchers if he’s forced to impose tougher Covid measures to tackle the Omicron variant next week.
Mr Levido was credited with securing Mr Johnson’s 80-seat majority in the 2019 election through a tough regime of message discipline - using simple slogans like “Get Brexit Done.”
And after he was brought in to tighten up the government’s Covid communications strategy, Downing Street began to push a new slogan: “Stay Home, Protect the NHS, Save Lives.”
Mr Johnson was seen returning to Downing Street from Chequers, his Buckinghamshire country house, on Wednesday - shortly before Mr Levido and Mr Brooks arrived at Number 10.
It’s thought the Prime Minister returned to Chequers later the same day.
