Dominic Cummings
(Picture: Getty Images)Boris Johnson has been mocked by Dominic Cummings after he appeared to try and take credit for Matt Hancock’s resignation.
Writing on Twitter (where else?), the Prime Minister’s former adviser called Johnson a “trolley” – just as he did during his parliamentary evidence session on the government’s handling of coronavirus last month – and implied that the PM changed course due to media panic and his wife, Carrie Symonds.
Trolley Fri: Argh, accept apology I consider the matter closed
— Dominic Cummings (@Dominic2306) June 28, 2021
Media/MP babble, 89 Carrie texts p/hour
Trolley Sat, SMASH: Arghhh Matt go now you'll be back better stronger shortly matey forward to victory!
Trolley Mon, CRASH: when I saw the story on Fri we had a new SoS on Sat
In case the incident has slipped from your memory (and really, how could anyone unseethat footage?) here’s a quick timeline. On Friday, images, then footage, showing that the then Health Secretary, Matt Hancock had kissed his long-term friend and aide Gina Colangelo while social distancing measures were in place. He apologised, Johnson said he would not fire him and said the matter was closed.
On Saturday, amid continued media scrutiny and a public backlash, Hancock resigned. On Monday, during a mosey round Batley and Spen, Johnson claimed to press: “When I saw the story on Friday, we had a new secretary of state for health in on Saturday”. He insisted that “that’s about the right pace to proceed in a pandemic”. This was despite him dismissing these concerns on Friday, remember.
And Cummings was having none of it.
Cummings also claimed that Johnson and Hancock used WhatsApp to discuss coronavirus procurement with a “Tory donor network” and Downing Street officials:
This is nonsense. PM's PPS knows it. Cabinet Secretary knows it. I can prove it with screenshots from my phone. E.g PM/Hancock used WhatsApp to discuss procurement issues viz Tory donor network with no10 officials. Media shd insist PMOS consult PM PPS & correct the record ASAP https://t.co/TFJk8vh0CV
— Dominic Cummings (@Dominic2306) June 28, 2021
He also made a dig about Johnson’s propensity for U-turns:
Free top tip for Saj: there's only thing 'irreversible' with the Trolley, only one line that is ever held thro crises, & all in No10 live by this rule: 'no comment' on PM's private life. *Everything* else is 'reversible' & usually reversed
— Dominic Cummings (@Dominic2306) June 28, 2021
And muddying the already murky waters of British politics further, Johnson’s spokesman later denied that his comments suggested that Hancock had been sacked. “No, the former health secretary resigned,” he said to The Times, adding that Johnson had not asked Hancock to resign. “No, the prime minister accepted his resignation, he agreed it was the right decision.”
However, asked why it was the right decision on Saturday when the prime minister had considered the matter closed on Friday, the spokesman said: “They discussed it further and the prime minister agreed with the former health secretary that it was right for him to offer his resignation.”
Angela Rayner, the deputy Labour leader, said: “Boris Johnson is trying to rewrite history because he didn’t have the guts to sack Matt Hancock. A fish rots from the head down, and by failing to sack the former health secretary, Johnson proved he doesn’t have the leadership qualities or judgment required to be prime minister.”
Cummings has been a vocal critic of both Johnson and Hancock as of late. Last week, while news of the affair rippled through the nation, he took the opportunity to post a blog slamming Hancock’s handling of the crisis further, and said Britain “gets Hancocked every week”.
And he hasn’t been much kinder to the new Health Secretary, Sajid Javid, who - in his view - will be “awful for the NHS”.
What a mess.
