Chancellor builds bridges with No 10 after aide row
Chancellor Sajid Javid yesterday insisted his relationship with Boris Johnson was “fantastic” despite No 10 sacking one of his key aides without his knowledge.
Sonia Khan is the fifth ministerial aide, and the fourth woman, to be forced out of No 10 since Theresa May’s successor and his de facto chief of staff, Dominic Cummings, moved in.
According to reports, the special adviser was sacked after a meeting with Mr Cummings on Thursday evening when he accused her of leaking explosive Brexit reports.
Ms Khan, 27, was sacked on the spot after the former head of the Vote Leave campaign looked at her work and personal mobile phones and reportedly discovered she had recently spoken with an ex-aide of former Chancellor Philip Hammond.
The former Cabinet Minister and No 10 are at war over the Prime Minister’s determination to take Britain out of Europe by October 31.
No 10 has blamed rebel Tories, led by the former Treasury chief, for leaking details of preparations for a no-deal Brexit.
Mr Javid was reported to be “absolutely furious” over his aide’s sacking. But he said yesterday: “I am not going to discuss any personnel issues, it would be inappropriate.
“I think my views are well understood. The relationship is fantastic with the Prime Minister.”
He also backed the call to suspend parliament despite previously warning prorogation could be seen as “trashing” democracy.
He said: “I wasn’t being asked about a Queen’s Speech, a Government setting an agenda, that was a question around suspending parliament for the sake of it for months on end to avoid debate.”