How Brummie Rasputin blamed the Wizard of Oz
THERESA MAY’S aide Nick Timothy wasted little time in putting the boot into Sir Lynton Crosby after the Election fiasco.
Timothy resigned within hours – only to then blame the Australian strategist for the result, saying he had not spotted the Jeremy Corbyn ‘surge’.
The ‘Brummie Rasputin’, as Timothy was dubbed at No10 in reference to the bearded Russian mystic, left, also claimed Sir Lynton had made a critical error by forcing May into a presidentialstyle campaign. Timothy wrote: ‘Theresa, never comfortable hogging the limelight, expected to make more use of her ministerial team. On the advice of campaign consultants... we eschewed our instincts. We were wrong to do so.’
The outburst was typical of the forthright style to which No 10 staffers – and Cabinet Ministers – grew accustomed. His most toxic rift was with Chancellor Phillip Hammond, who he would refer to a ‘c***’ in front of shocked officials, sources say.
Timothy’s ‘Blame Lynton’ narrative is key to understanding May’s vow to lead the party into another Election. In the aftermath of June 8, May was racked with
guilt over the loss of Tory seats, and felt vulnerable after Timothy quit. Friends feared she was on the brink of quitting.
But refreshed by her summer break, May is increasingly persuaded by the argument that she could have won a mandate if only Sir Lynton had not messed up the campaign. The hand of Timothy can still be detected.
Her pledge last week to tackle corporate greed is a classic example of 37-year-old Timothy’s ‘Red Toryism’, rooted in his working-class background.
A source says: ‘Nick might not be in the building any more, but he is still making his presence felt. He does not just have a powerful influence on Theresa’s policies, he also helps to shore up her self-belief.
‘His dream revenge would be for her to fight another Election without Lynton – and win’.