Dominic Cummings steps up plan to replace Tories with new party – POLITICO

The political strategist held onto his job, despite immense pressure, after he fronted a press conference in the Downing Street garden to defend his actions — an unprecedented step for an unelected adviser. But he was eventually sacked just five months later and soon began a public vendetta against Johnson, which included a series of damning … Read more

Dominic Cummings says Sunak sought ‘secret deal’ for election help – POLITICO

LONDON — Dominic Cummings — adviser-turned-nemesis of Boris Johnson — claimed Saturday he held talks with Rishi Sunak about a “secret deal” to help the prime minister win the next election. The bombshell revelation is likely to anger Tory MPs who see the mastermind of the Vote Leave campaign for Brexit as a divisive figure, … Read more

Westminster’s words of 2023 – POLITICO

Press play to listen to this article Voiced by artificial intelligence. LONDON — What’s in a word? Turns out, quite a bit. Westminster’s finest politicos found themselves frantically Googling this year as they tried to get their heads around a whole bunch of words they had never heard before. No, not “integrity,” “honesty” and “compassion” — … Read more

Rishi Sunak resists Boris Johnson pile-on at COVID inquiry – POLITICO

LONDON — They may be bitter Tory rivals, but Rishi Sunak rose above it all Monday as he resisted several chances to take potshots at his predecessor Boris Johnson. Sunak, now the U.K.’s prime minister, spent Monday being grilled by the independent inquiry about his time as Johnson’s top finance minister during the coronavirus pandemic. … Read more