Lee Cain exit and bigger picture over power struggle – The Yorkshire Post says

THE UNDIGNIFIED power struggle in 10 Downing Street this week has again seen the London Government – and those reporting on it at Westminster – fall into a familiar trap.
By YP Comment
Published 13th Nov 2020, 16:40 BST

They’re analysing the winners and losers from the perspective of the personalities involved rather than a country in lockdown viewing this unedifying spectacle with incredulity.

It’s an important distinction which needs to be recognised after the decision to elevate communications director Lee Cain to become Boris Johnson’s chief of staff prompted a mutiny which reportedly involved the PM’s own fiancée.

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Yet the subsequent decision of Mr Cain, a key member of the Vote Leave cabal so crucial to Mr Johnson’s day-to-day operations, to now resign has blindsided the Government.

Boris Johnson at Prime Minister's Questions on Wednesday - hours before a Downing Street power struggle erupted.Boris Johnson at Prime Minister's Questions on Wednesday - hours before a Downing Street power struggle erupted.
Boris Johnson at Prime Minister's Questions on Wednesday - hours before a Downing Street power struggle erupted.

Like it or not, it reflects very poorly on the characters of those concerned that they allowed all of this to spill out into the public domain on the very day that the UK recorded its 50,000th death from Covid.

The impression they give is that they’re fighting amongst themselves while the Government’s testing policy is a shambles and the economy on its knees. For Johnson loyalists to deny this is disingenuous.

Not even Theresa May’s inner circle, from the aftermath of the 2017 election to her departure from office, behaved this badly.

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That said, there is now an opportunity for Mr Johnson, in the wake of Mr Cain’s impending departure, to change the abrasive tone of its administration – last year’s election has been fought and won – and make Ministers more widely available for scrutiny by the media, as they should.

Downing Street director of communications Lee Cain (right) travelled with Boris Johnson by train to Telford last year to launch the Tory party's election manifesto.Downing Street director of communications Lee Cain (right) travelled with Boris Johnson by train to Telford last year to launch the Tory party's election manifesto.
Downing Street director of communications Lee Cain (right) travelled with Boris Johnson by train to Telford last year to launch the Tory party's election manifesto.

But does he still have the authority to do the right thing for his premiership – and for the country – and what about the PM’s aide Domimic Cummings whose decision to flout the original lockdown has been so damaging?

They are the two key questions – and they remain unanswered.

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Related topics:Yorkshire PostGovernmentBoris JohnsonLondon

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