Bullying claims, rude texts and PM’s weakness made No10 ‘toxic’

Former aides criticise Timothy and Hill as May’s chiefs of staff fall on their swords

NICK TIMOTHY and Fiona Hill had created a “toxic” environment in Downing Street, a former senior aide to the Prime Minister said yesterday.

The claim by Theresa May’s former director of communications raises serious questions about her reliance on the joint chiefs of staff, who quit yesterday, despite growing evidence of bullying.

The pair have been blamed for the disastrous Tory manifesto which included the hurriedly introduced “dementia tax” without consultation.

Katie Perrior, who quit her role in April after 10 months, told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that Mrs May should have broadened her circle of advisers beyond her chiefs of staff.

Asked if the pair bullied and badly treated Cabinet ministers, Ms Perrior said: “I think so. I think there was not enough respect shown to people who had spent 20 years in office or 20 years getting to the top seat in government.

“I felt sending people rude text messages was unacceptable.

“I felt what the Prime Minister needs when you’re going through a tough time like negotiating Brexit is diplomats, not street fighters. They really only know one way to operate and that’s to have enemies and I’m sure I’m one of those this morning.”

Ms Perrior denied being forced out by Mr Timothy and Ms Hill’s behaviour. “I was probably only ever going to do two years,” she said. “But at the same time, I’ve got to say every month that went past I thought, ‘Well, brilliant, I’ve been hanging on for another month’, because it was pretty toxic.”

Ms Perrior said she saw Mrs May stand up to Ms Hill “only a handful of times”, adding: “We would go into an 8.30am meeting every day in Theresa May’s office and the atmosphere would be great if the chiefs of staff were not there and terrible if the chiefs of staff were there. Most of the time we would sit there and often hear Fiona come up with ideas which were frankly crazy and we’d say nothing.” Ms Perrior said she had two “major blow-ups” with Ms Hill before quitting. Shortly after Ms Perrior’s resignation, Ms Hill became director of communications.

A second former aide to Mrs May yesterday heaped further pressure on the Prime Minister to quit. Joey Jones, who worked for Mrs May when she was Home Secretary, wrote on the Conservative Home website: “Theresa May without Nick and Fi will be a hollowedout figure. Already she has no power, she has no authority.

“Humiliated and alone, she faces the prospect of being held a prisoner to her Conservative colleagues, a hostage in Downing Street until they tell her it is time to leave. Better, surely, to accept now that it’s over.”

Mr Jones, who said he decided to leave after a text message from Ms Hill, added: “Responsibility for the toxic dynamic in Downing Street was not Nick and Fi’s alone. It goes without saying that the Prime Minister herself should have stopped the rot and is now the one most damaged by her failure to act.”

Ms Hill, a former Sky News journalist, had worked with Mrs May for four years at the Home Office before being forced to resign in 2014 after a dispute with Michael Gove over who was to blame for briefing newspapers about an increase in extremism in schools.

Mr Timothy, nicknamed Rasputin, is credited with influencing the Prime Minister’s views on social mobility.

His ambition to be an MP was reportedly thwarted by David Cameron following a row over special advisers being asked to canvass in a by-election.

Following his resignation, Mr Timothy wrote on Conservative Home: “I take responsibility for my part in this election campaign, which was the oversight of our policy programme.

“In particular, I regret the decision not to include in the manifesto a ceiling as well as a floor in our proposal to help meet the increasing cost of social care.

“But I would like to make clear that the bizarre media reports about my own role in the policy’s inclusion are wrong: it had been the subject of many months of work within Whitehall, and it was not my personal pet project.”

Ms Hill said in a statement yesterday: “It’s been a pleasure to serve in government, and a pleasure to work with such an excellent Prime Minister. I have no doubt at all that Theresa May will continue to serve and work hard as Prime Minister – and do it brilliantly.”