POWER-GRAB BORIS GOES ALL PRESIDENTIAL
BORIS Johnson has strengthened his grip over Whitehall by snatching greater control over Britain’s bloated aid ministry.
Theresa May said last night that two ministers would be shared between Mr Johnson’s Foreign Office and the Department for International Development.
The move comes after allies of the Foreign Secretary – who was snapped sporting a Donald Trump-style hairdo yesterday – said at the weekend that he was demanding control of the aid budget as the price of backing the PM.
A Government source said the appointment of shared ministers showed Mr Johnson had increased his power over the ministry.
The news will be a blow to International Development Secretary Priti Patel, who had been resisting such moves.
It will be seen as a sign of the Foreign Secretary’s growing leverage over Mrs May.
Mr Johnson was forced to deny earlier that week that he was preparing a leadership bid.
The new shared ministers will be Rory Stewart, who was already in place, and Alistair Burt - a Remain-supporting MP who returns to government a year after being sacked by Mrs May.
Last night former aid minister Grant Shapps tweeted: ‘Delighted my calls for joint ministers across DfID and Foreign Office have been answered with Alistair Burt and Rory Stewart across both.
‘Their ministerial boxes will be full of contradictions in British policy, which they’ll now be able to sort out.’