Boris Johnson will live to regret losing Sajid Javid as Chancellor - here’s why: Bernard Ingham

He has now hamfistedly lost two Ministers – Chancellor Sajid Javid and Northern Powerhouse Minister, Jake Berry. And, possibly worse still, he has put Rishi Sunak, the new Chancellor, in a very difficult position, given that No 10 is insisting on controlling HM Treasury.

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No wonder there is talk of rebellion among Tory MPs.

Some might argue that Yorkshire’s own Sunak is in a strong position since no Prime Minister wants to lose two Chancellors.

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In practice, his every action will be closely scrutinised for evidence as to whether he is his own man or a mere puppet.

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And if he is his own man how long will he last if No 10’s dictator, Dominic Cummings, has anything to do with it?

It really is time Richmond MPs had a break after the misfortunes of Leon Brittan and William Hague.

I wish Sunak well.

In doing so, we should examine the implications of No 10’s recent conduct. First, how does Cummings derive his hire and fire authority? He is, after all, a mere special adviser – or SPAD for short – even if he behaves like the Supreme Ruler.

By what constitutional means did he acquire his evident power? We should be told.

We might have been were Labour any use as HM Loyal Opposition.

It is also ludicrous to suppose that a handful of SPADs can effectively run Government when most of them have limited experience of administration and inevitably have to rely on the Civil Service to do the work – i.e. real thinking – and process it into legislation and operation.

Margaret Thatcher, while admittedly having a policy unit, tried to limit the number of special advisers in departments to two.

They have proliferated ever since and, if Cummings is any guide, taken over, even if his strength is mere sloganising.

My next query is whether Boris is as bright as everybody claims.

Does he realise what can be read into his behaviour?

Some will argue that by firing a number of free spirits such as Julian Smith (Northern Ireland), Geoffrey Cox (Attorney General) and Andrea Leadsom (Business) and imposing his apparatchiks on the Treasury he has shown who’s 
boss.

But there is another way of looking at it. Are we effectively acquiring an omnipotent dictatorship which decides everything, tolerating no dissent and thereby stifling legitimate debate?

Over time this will lead to increasing frustration and dissent among Ministers.

Is Britain’s long-established constitution of the Prime Minister being first among equals being unceremoniously buried?

If Boris has any sense he would recognise the dangers from David Cameron’s old Etonian clique and Theresa May’s playing policy close to her chest.

From my 24 years’ experience Government works best when there is a free flow of ideas and criticism, followed by a democratic willingness to accept the majority decision. This, it seems, is to be stifled in the Treasury.

Does Boris realise that when things go wrong – as they will economically, given his propensity to produce billions for this, that and t’other project from HS2 downwards – he will get the blame?

Certainly living within your means seems alien to him.

Sunak is clearly walking a tightrope from Day One in the Treasury.

Some will argue that the Prime Minister is heeding the lessons from Mrs Thatcher’s problems with her Chancellor Nigel Lawson that eventually did for both of them and Tony Blair’s with Gordon Brown. His solution, in putting the Treasury under No 10 control, is to rule the roost. Theoretically, he already does.

The sign on No 10’s front door, reads “First Lord of the Treasury” – as Mrs Thatcher reminded Lawson when he wanted to run economic policy without let or hindrance.

But, to repeat, every policy decision has an infrastructure that has to be established to bring it into operation. Someone has to do that work and, however clever Cummings thinks he and his fellow weirdo SPADs are, the Treasury will still have to do it.

Results are best achieved through co-operation not dictation.

When a Chancellor, like Lawson, goes solo, in his case shadowing the D-Mark and losing control of inflation and interest rates, he should be sacked. Mrs Thatcher was far too indulgent.

Boris, with Cummings apparently pulling the strings, has, however, not given Sajid Javid the chance even to present a Budget. Mark my words: he will live to regret it.