Meltdown in Downing Street as four of Boris Johnson’s closest aides go

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Downing Street was in meltdown last night as Boris Johnson ordered a brutal clearout of senior aides in a bid to shore up his troubled premiership.

In a dramatic move, No 10 said the Prime Minister’s chief of staff Dan Rosenfield and private secretary Martin Reynolds will leave in the wake of the Partygate scandal.

It came shortly after it emerged the PM’s communications chief, Jack Doyle, was also departing.

The clearout had been planned for next week, but was brought forward after a turbulent few hours triggered mounting panic in Downing Street about the Prime Minister’s position.

First, Mr Johnson was hit by the shock resignation of one his closest allies, policy chief Munira Mirza.

Then Rishi Sunak publicly questioned the Prime Minister’s conduct over his explosive claim that Sir Keir Starmer had failed to prosecute Jimmy Savile.

The Chancellor’s intervention was followed by Mr Doyle’s resignation, with No 10 then moving to announce the sudden departures of Mr Rosenfield and Mr Reynolds.

Mr Reynolds, dubbed ‘Party Marty’, was the alleged organiser of the notorious ‘bring your own booze’ party in the No 10 garden, while Mr Rosenfield had been tipped to go after Sue Gray’s report identified ‘failures of leadership and judgment’ inside No 10.

Last night, a Government source told the Mail that the clearout showed the PM was serious about reforming No 10 – with loyalist MPs encouraged to publicly welcome the changes.

But others viewed the rushed announcements as a last-ditch gamble designed to prevent a draining of support for Mr Johnson.

Earlier, Miss Mirza had stunned the PM by announcing her resignation.

Miss Mirza, who had worked with Mr Johnson for 14 years, revealed she had issued him with an ultimatum over his controversial attack on Sir Keir about the failure of the Crown Prosecution Service to bring charges against Savile.

In a partial climbdown yesterday, the PM said he had not been referring to the Labour leader’s ‘personal record’.

But, in an extraordinary resignation letter, Miss Mirza said his words fell short of the apology she had demanded, adding: ‘You are a better man than many of your detractors will ever understand, which is why it is desperately sad that you let yourself down by making a scurrilous accusation against the Leader of the Opposition.’

Less than two hours later, the Chancellor added to the Prime Minister’s woes by publicly distancing himself from his remarks about Sir Keir.

Speaking at a press conference in Downing Street that was ostensibly about the Government’s efforts to tackle the cost of living crisis, Mr Sunak said of Mr Johnson’s comments: ‘Being honest, I wouldn’t have said it.’

On a dramatic day at Westminster:

Britain was rocked by an economic ‘Black Thursday’, with the Bank of England warning that households face the worst fall in living standards since records began more than 30 years ago;The Bank warned inflation was on course to hit 7.25 per cent in April, the highest level for three decades;In a triple blow, the Bank raised interest rates for the second time in two months, affecting millions of homeowners;Families were told average household fuel bills will soar by almost £700 from April, as the energy price cap goes up by 54 per cent;Mr Sunak unveiled a £9 billion lifeline for struggling families, with a £200 ‘rebate’ off energy bills for all, and £150 off council tax for 20 million;Tory MPs warned Mr Sunak that the controversial national insurance rise in April will further fuel inflation, with one even branding him a ‘socialist’;Mr Sunak was criticised by his own deputy chief secretary to the Treasury Simon Clarke, who said the PM’s remarks about Sir Keir were ‘perfectly reasonable’;A defiant Mr Johnson hinted that he hoped to govern for another eight years, saying he had ‘a lot more work to do’;Government whips were braced for a potential flurry of letters from Tory MPs demanding Mr Johnson face a confidence vote, amid fears a minister may walk.

The rushed nature of last night’s No 10 departures became clear as it emerged that no replacements have been lined up to replace Mr Rosenfield, Mr Reynolds or Mr Doyle.

But Mr Johnson appears to have felt he had no choice but to try to reassert his grip following a week in which his authority has appeared to drain away.

Last weekend, the PM’s allies were confident they had seen off the immediate threat to his leadership and were on the verge of standing down a shadow whipping operation put in place to save him.

But to the dismay of party whips, disgruntled MPs have continued to emerge in dribs and drabs to call for Mr Johnson to resign.

Although no-one knows whether the number of letters of no confidence is close to the 54 needed to trigger a leadership contest, allies of the PM fear a confidence vote is ‘all but inevitable’.

In another blow, influential West Midlands mayor Andy Street also criticised the Prime Minister, saying his behaviour was ‘bad by any measure’.

The departure of four of Mr Johnson’s most senior aides threatens to leave a vacuum at the heart of No 10.

Mr Johnson moved swiftly to appoint former TV executive Andrew Griffith as his new policy chief, and a recruitment process is said to be already under way to find replacements for Mr Rosenfield and Mr Reynolds.

Mr Doyle, a former Daily Mail journalist, told friends he believed the PM needed a new communications chief for the ‘next phase of his premiership’.

Mr Johnson, who once praised Miss Mirza as a ‘brilliant thinker’ and listed her as one of the five women who had influenced and inspired him the most, denied his Savile comment was inappropriate.

But he told Channel 5 News: ‘I’m sorry to lose Munira, she’s done an outstanding job.’

Mr Clarke hinted at the grim mood among the PM’s allies. Asked if the PM’s situation could be likened to the last days of the Roman Empire, he told Channel 4 News: ‘The last days of Rome I think were more fun.’

But loyal MPs last night tried to flood social media with supportive messages. Joy Morrissey tweeted: ‘The PM promised changes to the No 10 operation earlier this week, glad to see him delivering.’

Ruthless Rishi twists the knife: After policy chief quits over PM’s Jimmy Savile jibe at Keir Starmer, Sunak insists he wouldn’t have said it

Rishi Sunak publicly rebuked Boris Johnson yesterday over his explosive claim that Sir Keir Starmer failed to prosecute Jimmy Savile.

In an extraordinary move, the Chancellor launched his attack on the Prime Minister from the lectern at a Downing Street press conference.

It came shortly after Munira Mirza, the PM’s policy chief, announced she was quitting over the PM’s use of the ‘scurrilous accusation’ against the Labour leader.

Addressing the issue in a live broadcast on the cost-of-living crisis yesterday, Mr Sunak said of Mr Johnson’s attack on Sir Keir: ‘I wouldn’t have said it.’ In a further sign of turmoil at the heart of government, the Chancellor was last night in turn criticised by his own deputy, Chief Secretary to the Treasury Simon Clarke, who said Mr Johnson was ‘within his rights to say what he said’.

And, in a separate interview yesterday, Mr Sunak fuelled fevered speculation he wants to replace Mr Johnson when he refused to rule out a Tory leadership bid.

Last night government whips were braced for a potential flurry of letters from Tory MPs demanding Mr Johnson face a confidence vote, amid fears that a minister may walk.

In the Commons on Tuesday, the Prime Minister told MPs that as director of public prosecutions Sir Keir had ‘spent most of his time prosecuting journalists and failing to prosecute Jimmy Savile’.

Yesterday he sought to ‘clarify’ his remarks. Mr Johnson said: ‘I want to be very clear about this because a lot of people have got very hot under the collar, and I understand why.

‘I’m talking not about the Leader of the Opposition’s personal record when he was DPP and I totally understand that he had nothing to do personally with those decisions. I was making a point about his responsibility for the organisation as a whole.’

But soon after, Munira Mirza, who had been one of the PM’s most loyal advisers, serving him since he became London mayor in 2008, announced she was quitting.

The No 10 head of policy said in an excoriating resignation letter: ‘I believe it was wrong for you to imply this week that Keir Starmer was personally responsible for allowing Jimmy Savile to escape justice.

‘There was no fair or reasonable basis for that assertion. This was not the usual cut and thrust of politics; it was an inappropriate and partisan reference to a horrendous case of child sex abuse.

‘You tried to clarify your position today but, despite my urging, you did not apologise for the misleading impression you gave. You are a better man than many of your detractors will ever understand which is why it is so desperately sad that you let yourself down by making a scurrilous accusation against the Leader of the Opposition.’

The Chancellor was asked about Miss Mirza’s resignation and Mr Johnson’s remarks while appearing at a press conference in No 10 after setting out emergency measures to help people struggling with soaring energy bills. ‘She was a valued colleague,’ he said. ‘I very much enjoyed working with her and I’m sorry to see her leave government.

‘With regards to the comments, being honest I wouldn’t have said it and I’m glad the Prime Minister clarified what he meant.’ Asked if he thought the PM should apologise, Mr Sunak said: ‘That’s for the Prime Minister to decide.’

But a couple of hours later, Mr Sunak’s deputy Mr Clarke took to the airwaves to defend Mr Johnson. The Chief Secretary to the Treasury told Channel 4 News: ‘I have highest regard for the Chancellor, I work very closely with him on a whole range of policies. But it is my view that it was a perfectly reasonable remark for the Prime Minister to have made.’

Earlier, the Chancellor warned that the Partygate row had damaged trust in the Government and acknowledged some Tory MPs would like to see him in No 10.

But he insisted the prospect of a leadership contest remained a ‘hypothetical situation’ and that the PM had his full support.

Asked about backbenchers wanting him to take over, Mr Sunak told the BBC: ‘Well, that’s very kind of them of them to suggest that, but what I think people want from me is to focus on my job.’

Mr Sunak acknowledged the Government needed to rebuild public confidence following the disclosures over parties during lockdown. ‘I can appreciate people’s frustration,’ he added.

A minister who is close to Miss Mirza said yesterday the Savile issue had been the ‘final straw but not the first’.

Last night there was speculation in Westminster about whether Mr Sunak’s comments and Miss Mirza’s resignation had been a co-ordinated move against Mr Johnson.

The news that she was leaving was broken by The Spectator’s political editor James Forsyth, who has been a close friend of the Chancellor since they attended Winchester College together.

Mr Sunak was best man at his wedding to the PM’s former press secretary Allegra Stratton – who resigned at the beginning of the Partygate saga. In a further link, Miss Mirza is married to Dougie Smith, another key aide in No 10 who is friends with Mr Sunak.   

Are Team Rishi making their move? The long-time ally who has ‘beheaded’ Boris by quitting is married to the ex-swingers’ club-running friend of the Chancellor… and the story was broken by a journalist who is godfather to his children 

By James Tapsfield, Political Editor For Mailonline

Despite the bluff and bonhomie of his public persona, Boris Johnson has always been short of close friends at Westminster. 

And since he became PM many of his most trusted allies have fallen by the wayside. 

Munira Mirza was one of the last remaining ‘true believers’, having been by his side since London mayor days.

But the 44-year-old also has intriguingly close personal links to Rishi Sunak, including through her Tory aide husband Dougie Smith.

And the political journalist who broke news of her resignation, James Forsyth, had Mr Sunak as best man at his wedding. Forsyth and his wife, former No10 spokeswoman Allegra Stratton, are also godparents to the Sunaks’ children.

The manoeuvring and intricate connections have sparked speculation that a full-scale coup is under way. 

One veteran Tory aide told MailOnline: ‘Munira isn’t so much a stab in the back as a big f***ing beheading.’ 

Ms Mirza has been regarded as someone in whom Mr Johnson would confide and felt comfortable bouncing ideas off.

After the departure of Dominic Cummings and his subsequent campaign to oust the premier – spilling a slew of behind the scenes secrets in the process – that was a highly valued quality.

In recent weeks there has been a rising expectation that Mr Johnson faces losing more close lieutenants over Partygate, with communications direction Jack Doyle and permanent secretary Martin Reynolds under huge pressure.

But Ms Mirza’s departure from the Downing Street policy unit over the Jimmy Savile jibe at Keir Starmer is a blindsiding blow, that will raise alarm among Mr Johnson’s limited praetorian guard that he is passing the point of no return. 

And there will be mutterings about whether it part of a Rishi Sunak coup operation. Ms Mirza is married to Dougie Smith, a friend of Mr Sunak who is a strategist and opposition researcher in No10. 

And the journalist who broke the story was Spectator political editor James Forsyth, whose best man was Mr Sunak when he married Allegra Stratton – the spokeswoman who dramatically quit over Partygate after being effectively cut adrift by the PM.  

A former member of the Revolutionary Communist Party, in 2020 Ms Mirza was named by the PM as one of the five women who have shaped his life.

She was on the list along with campaigner Malala Yousafzai, his grandmother, queen of the British Iceni tribe Boudicca, and singer/songwriter Kate Bush.

Of Ms Mirza he said: ‘Munira is capable of being hip, cool, groovy and generally on trend.’ 

Up to now she has been fiercely loyal to Mr Johnson. 

In 2018, when the Prime Minister’s comments about women in burkas hit the headlines, Ms Mirza – a Muslim – launched a passionate defence of him in the media.

A long-time aide dating back to his time as London mayor, she preferred to work away from the limelight and has little public profile. 

She was appointed as Mr Johnson’s cultural adviser when he entered City Hall on the recommendation of his chief of staff Nick Boles, the sometime Tory MP who co-founded Policy Exchange.

Previously she had worked for the think-tank and been a speechwriter for David Cameron. 

Initially she is said to have made clear to Mr Johnson that she was not a Conservative Party member or ‘tribal’. 

But the pair soon developed a strong working relationship that continued through Mr Johnson’s wilderness years and into Downing Street. 

The Oldham-born academic was a popular figure around No10, with one source previously saying: .’She has a huge brain but wears it lightly. Boris listens to her.’

It was his failure to listen to her that sparked today’s resignation. 

Mirza’s family came to Britain from Pakistan, with her father finding work as a factory while her mother taught Urdu part time.

She attended Breeze High School and Oldham Sixth Form College, where she was the only pupil to gain a place at Oxford, where she studied English Literature. 

Despite her low public profile she has attracted the ire of the PM’s political opponents. 

In a 2017 piece for the Sun, Ms Mirza said that anti-racism campaigners have a ‘culture of grievance’ and appeasing them was ‘not making Britain a fairer place but harming the very people they aspire to help’. 

Before moving into Tory politics in 2003, her husband Mr Smith co-founded Fever Parties, an agency which organised sex parties for up to 50 couples at a time from London’s ‘fast set’.

He was responsible for hosting orgies for the beautiful and wealthy in Mayfair townhouses.

Mr Smith has insisted his different work ventures did not ‘overlap’.

Ms Mirza reportedly helped write the manifesto that got Mr Johnson to No10. 

In June last year she was asked to set up a new race inequality commission.

Supporters said at the time she is an advocate of data-driven policies, but campaigners and Labour MPs argued she is a denier of institutional racism and should not be playing a key role in the response to the BLM protests. 

She appeared on BBC Radio 4’s Great Lives series in 2009, with 20th-century German political theorist Hannah Arendt as her subject. 

She told the programme: ‘She was a very brave woman, brave in what she said and did. 

‘She always did what she thought was the right thing rather than what was popular, what was safe… She always had integrity.’