UNITED KINGDOM
A man who reportedly “hates the Civil Service” has been appointed as a leading adviser to UK Prime Minister, Boris Johnson.
Dominic Cummings (pictured) has been described as the strategic genius behind the campaign for the UK to leave the European Union (Brexit) and will now be tasked with ensuring Mr Johnson meets his pledge of delivering Brexit by 31 October “do or die”.
A former special adviser to Michael Gove in the Department for Education, Mr Cummings is a longstanding critic of the organisation of Whitehall.
In the build-up to the 2016 referendum on EU membership, he told Parliament’s Treasury Committee that Foreign Office officials could not negotiate their way “out of a paper bag”.
Mr Cummings has accused senior PS employees of making threats to keep the UK in the EU and said a permanent Public Service was “an idea for the history books”.
However, one friend said Mr Cummings’ ambition stretched well beyond reforming Whitehall.
“He will want to make progress on what he sees as the country’s national mission — to make the UK the best place in the world to do science and to be educated,” the friend said.
Meanwhile, Mr Johnson has assured the UK’s most senior PS employee that he intends to keep him in his post to oversee preparations for the country’s departure from the European Union.
Mr Johnson has already met Cabinet Secretary, Sir Mark Sedwill on a number of occasions to talk with him about his priorities in government.
Sir Mark is understood to have assured Mr Johnson that he would fully support whatever Brexit strategy the new Government pursued and ensure Whitehall responded to the priorities of the new administration.
London, 25 July 2019
