PRIME POSITION WHO IS IN THE RUNNING TO BE THE NEXT CHIEF OF STAFF

Isaac Levido

The Australian political strategist ran the Conservative Party’s successful election campaign last year, and is the protege of Lynton Crosby, a veteran lobbyist and Tory operator. Mr Levido has since been hired as a consultant on the Government’s coronavirus response and is trusted by the Prime Minister and Downing Street officials.

Insiders say Mr Levido was given total control by Boris Johnson over the last election campaign, and “has a political approach to strategy” that would serve him well in Downing Street, but could butt heads with Dominic Cummings if the pair worked together. David Canzini Mr Canzini has been named by Sir Charles Walker, an influential Tory backbencher and Cummings sceptic, as a good potential Downing Street chief of staff. Mr Canzini is another disciple of Mr Crosby and works at his political consultancy, CT Partners. Mr Canzini ran Mr Johnson’s leadership bid and is considered by backbenchers to have “good links” with the Tory party. One MP told The Telegraph a figure like Mr Canzini in Downing Street would help “get the old Boris back.”

Lord Feldman With deep roots in the Conservative Party, Lord Feldman has served as party chairman under David Cameron. He met Mr Cameron at Oxford, ran his leadership campaign in 2005 and has been described as the former Prime Minister’s “oldest political friend”. Lord Feldman was reportedly asked if he would take the job, but turned it down, citing Mr Cummings as an obstacle. Deborah Feldman, his sister, is managing director of Topham Guerin, the digital campaigning company used by Mr Johnson for his 2019 campaign and coronavirus messaging.

Lord Frost

Already one of Mr Johnson’s most trusted advisers, Lord Frost is fronting negotiations with the European Union on behalf of the UK Government. He swiftly denied rumours on Wednesday night that he was considering following Lee Cain out of government. Lord Frost is also the Government’s National Security Adviser.

George Osborne

With six years as chancellor under his belt, Mr Osborne is one of the country’s most experienced political operators and is

respected by Tory MPS for his time in government under Mr Cameron. Mr Osborne did not shy away from criticising Mr Johnson during his time as editor of the London Evening

Standard, and recently accused the Prime Minister of being unrealistic in his assessment of the impact of coronavirus. The former chancellor’s schedule is busy: he has taken on a slew of advisory roles and by one count had nine jobs.

Sajid Javid

The former chancellor has experience of government, having served in two of the four great offices of state, most recently under Mr Johnson. Appointing Mr Javid, who also ran against the Prime Minister in last year’s Tory leadership election, would be seen as an olive branch to the section of Tory backbenchers concerned about the influence of Mr Cummings. But that seems unlikely: Mr Javid fell out with Mr Cummings when the strategist asked him to sack his advisers and bring the Treasury further under the influence of Number 10. Mr Javid refused and resigned. Henry Newman Well known in Westminster, Henry Newman has spent most of his career working as an aide to Michael Gove. Mr Newman took a career break from government to run the Open Europe think tank, but now works back in the Cabinet Office under the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster. As a close ally of Mr Gove, Mr Newman could fall naturally into step with a Downing Street dominated by Dominic Cummings, a fellow Eurosceptic.