Dominic Cummings to leave No 10 with immediate effect

[Sarah]

Dominic Cummings: PM's top adviser leaves No 10 to 'clear the air'

Boris Johnson wants to "move on" after turmoil over his closest adviser's role, aides say.

www.bbc.co.uk

Boris Johnson's chief adviser Dominic Cummings has left Number 10 with immediate effect, BBC political editor Laura Kuenssberg says.

Mr Cummings spoke to the PM earlier, she said, and it was decided it was best for him to go now rather than next month after days of turmoil in No 10.

The former Vote Leave supremo had been at the centre of a power struggle in Downing Street this week.

The PM's director of communications Lee Cain has also left.

Mr Cummings was seen leaving No 10 a short while ago carrying a cardboard box.

On Thursday, Downing Street said Mr Cummings would be leaving by Christmas after a row over how No 10 is run and the appointment of a new chief of staff to Mr Johnson.
But 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".

 

[Mel O'Drama]

Cummings Going. There's a certain amount of schadenfreude to be had watching these vipers attacking each other in the nest.

He looked terribly deflated as he left No 10 this evening with his little brown box.

Lee Cain. Now Cummings. I wonder who'll be next.


Incidentally, I hadn't realised just how incestuous some of the relationships are: