Former chief aide in fresh broadside

DOMINIC Cummings has launched his latest criticism of those in Government, claiming that if decision-making in Whitehall was publicised “everyone would sell everything and head for the bunker in the hills”.

Boris Johnson’s former chief aide made the comments yesterday in an online question and answer session, which subscribers are required to pay to access, in the latest of his sustained war of words with the Prime Minister.

Mr Cummings called his once long-standing ally Mr Johnson a “gaffe machine” last week, just days after releasing text messages from the early stages of the pandemic in which the Prime Minister was critical of Health Secretary Matt Hancock.

Mr Cummings, who left Downing Street in November following a behind-the-scenes power struggle, recently launched a profile on Substack, a platform that allows people to charge for newsletters.

In response to a question on his experience of being “close to power and the opportunities it provided”, Mr Cummings said: “Fascinating but very troubling. The world is so dangerous, there are so many very smart and able people – when you watch the apex of power you feel like ‘If this were broadcast, everyone would sell everything and head for the bunker in the hills’.”

In his latest attack on Whitehall, he added that it is “impossible to describe how horrific decision-making is at the apex of power” and that it is “generally the blind leading the blind”.

On Friday, Mr Cummings claimed that Tory officials did not put Mr Johnson up for an interview with veteran broadcaster Andrew Neil during the 2019 general election campaign because he was “clueless” on policy. Mr Johnson was accused of “running scared” from scrutiny when he dodged the one-to-one BBC interview.