Boris Johnson vs Dominic Cummings POLL: Who do you back as row erupts over No10 leak?

Dominic Cummings is not ‘Mother Theresa’ says Montgomerie

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Dominic Cummings launched a blistering attack on the Prime Minister last night, where he accused Mr Johnson of lacking “competence and integrity”. The former aide made the claims in a 1,000 word log post, where he sought to set the record straight over allegations he was the source of a number of Downing Street leaks.

It comes after Downing Street sources blamed the former adviser for leaking exchanges made between Mr Johnson and businessman Sir James Dyson.

The messages, sent in March 2020, came after the Government asked companies to help build thousands of ventilators needed in the fight against Covid-19.

The text exchange revealed the Prime Minister promised Sir James he would “fix” a tax issue for his Singapore-based staff if they moved to the UK to do this.

Mr Cummings strenuously denied being the source of the leaked text messages, which were revealed by the BBC’s Political Editor Laura Kuenssberg earlier on Tuesday.

Writing on his blog, Mr Cummings said: “I was not directly or indirectly a/the source for the BBC/Kuenssberg story on the PM/Dyson texts.”

He added: “I am happy to meet with the cabinet secretary and for him to search my phone for Dyson messages.”

In response to the leaked exchange, Mr Johnson said: “It was right to talk to him, it was right to talk to any British manufacturer as I did.”

Asked whether he had blamed his former adviser for it, the Prime Minister said: “I don’t think people give a monkey’s, to be frank, about who is briefing what to who.”

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No 10 has launched an inquiry into who leaked the text messages.

Mr Cummings also denied leaking details of the second Covid lockdown in England, which prompted the Prime Minister to hold a last-minute press conference to announce the plans.

He said an inquiry at the time found that neither he nor the then-Downing Street director of communications, Lee Cain, had been responsible.

In relation to the inquiry, Mr Cummings claimed the Prime Minister almost pulled the plug on the probe.

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He said that Mr Johnson was concerned the finger would point at special adviser Henry Newman – a close friend of the Prime Ministers finance Carrie Symonds.

Mr Cummings claims that, in a conversation he had with his boss, Mr Johnson said: “If Newman is confirmed as the leaker then I will have to fire him, and this will cause me very serious problems with Carrie as they’re best friends… perhaps we could get the cabinet secretary to stop the leak inquiry?”

In response to Mr Cummings’ claims, a Downing Street statement said: “The Prime Minister has never interfered in a government leak inquiry.”

A senior government official said: “The allegations against Henry Newman are entirely false.

“He wouldn’t be working in Downing Street if he was suspected of leaking information.”

Mr Newman took up a role in No 10 at the start of the year.

Mr Cummings also called for an “urgent parliamentary inquiry into the government’s conduct over the Covid crisis”.

He added: “It is sad to see the PM and his office fall so far below the standards of competence and integrity the country deserves.”

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