Reports today suggested that the prime minister was poised to promote Lee Cain from his current role as No 10 director of communications, in a move which would consolidate the grip of Brexiteers on the Downing Street levers of power.
But BBC political editor Laura Kuenssberg reported that the move was in doubt because Ms Symonds was said to be “deeply unhappy” about Mr Cain’s promotion.
Downing Street was today maintaining an official wall of silence on the mooted change of personnel, which comes after the appointment of Allegra Stratton as the high-profile TV spokesperson for the PM.
A senior No 10 source would say only: “I’m not going to comment on the speculation today about personnel matters in No 10.” Pressed on whether Ms Symonds had objected to the proposed move for Mr Cain, he said: “I’ve always made a practice not to speak about the PM’s fiancee.”
Former tabloid newspaper journalist Cain served under Dominic Cummings at the pro-Brexit Vote Leave campaign fronted by Mr Johnson during the 2016 referendum.
He served as an adviser to Mr Johnson as foreign secretary and was appointed Downing Street director of communications after he became PM last year.
His appointment as chief of staff would entrench the hard Brexit position at a time when some are trying to persuade Mr Johnson to reset his administration for the years after the UK transitions out of the EU.
Reports that he was set to fill the chief of staff role which has remained empty since Mr Johnson’s arrival in No 10 were said to have “dropped the special adviser equivalent of a nuclear bomb” on Whitehall last night.
