Cain unable to carry on: Downing St director of comms resigns
Lee Cain has resigned from his Downing Street role as director of communications under Boris Johnson.
Boris Johnson’s official spokesperson James Slack will replace him, according to the BBC.
A statement from Cain said: “After careful consideration I have this evening resigned as No.10 director of communications and will leave the post at the end of the year. It has been a privilege to work as an adviser for Mr Johnson for the last three years – being part of a team that helped him win the Tory leadership contest, secured the largest Conservative majority for three decades – and it was an honour to be asked to serve as the Prime Minister’s chief of staff.
“I would like to thank all the team at No.10 – including the many unsung and incredibly talented civil servants – for their hard work and support during the last 18 months.
“And most of all I would like the thank the Prime Minister for his loyalty and leadership. I have no doubt that under his premiership the country will deliver on the promises made in the 2019 election campaign and build back better from the coronavirus pandemic.”
Earlier today the BBC reported tensions were growing inside 10 Downing Street following reports in The Times and The Daily Mail that the Prime Minister had been in discussions about offering Cain a promotion to become his chief of staff.
The news apparently caused dismay among some MPs, some ministers, and other insiders in government, with one source telling the BBC that Johnson’s fiancée, Carrie Symonds, was understood to be unhappy about it and has made that clear.