A cliché for history and British political enthusiasts: Friday, November 13 at the end of the afternoon, Dominic Cummings is immortalized, crossing the threshold of 10 Downing Street, head down and box full of personal belongings in his arms. The very powerful but very controversial special adviser to the Prime Minister has just been dismissed by his leader, with immediate effect. Boris Johnson no longer has confidence in the former director of the “Vote Leave” campaign who, for months, had pushed him into perpetual conflict with his conservative deputies, the opposition or Brussels.
The fire had been smoldering for several days. On October 30, Robert Peston, star journalist of ITV, announces the imminent reconfinement of the United Kingdom, even before Boris Johnson has had time to inform his MPs or even, according to several newspapers, that he definitely decided. An internal investigation is launched to go back to the authors of the leak and paranoia invites itself to Downing Street: who is “briefing” against the Prime Minister?
At the start of this week, tensions are escalating. Boris Johnson’s fiancée Carrie Symonds is backstage against the promotion of communications director Lee Cain, a close ally of Mr Cummings, to the post of secretary general to the Prime Minister.
The young woman, former director of communications for the Conservative Party, pleads for a refocusing of Mr. Johnson, for peaceful relations with the public and its own majority which has been increasing rebellions since the summer. She is backed by Allegra Stratton, newly recruited to be the new face of Downing Street in January 2021 – she will be presenting a daily press conference. Mme Stratton is a seasoned ex-journalist, through the Guardian, the BBC and ITV, highly respected for its measure. Lee Cain loses the game, and announces his resignation, Wednesday, November 11. The fall of Mr. Cummings, the leader of the “ultras” clan, now seems inevitable.
An inconvenient attitude
Friday night, the fall of “Dom” rejoiced the opposition and more, perhaps the conservative ranks. For months, Tory deputies had been asking for the head of this 48-year-old man, never elected but who cordially despised them. They panicked at the unprecedented ascendancy taken in the heart of power by this Oxford graduate, supposedly brilliant but known for his dark character and his “macho nerd” side, passionate about the hard sciences.
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