Crisis at No 10: Five aides quit in 24 hours – Jimmy Savile comments, partygate
Five top Tory aides have quit their role in No 10 in less than 24 hours – throwing Downing Street into crisis.
No 10 Policy Unit member Elena Narozanski has quit her role amid continuing fallout over Partygate.
The PM’s chief of staff Dan Rosenfield, the PM’s principal private secretary Martin Reynolds are confirmed to be leaving their roles.
Two other key advisers to the PM – press chief Jack Doyle and policy chief Munira Mirza have also quit.
The PM is under pressure over the Partygate scandals – parties that were reportedly held during Covid restrictions in 2020 and 2021 – there has been an investigation by Sue Gray and the events are currently being investigated by the Metropolitan police.
12 Tory MPs have publicly called for the PM’s resignation – with 7 submitting letters of no confidence in him.
First, Boris Johnson’s policy chief resigned over the PM’s false claim that Keir Starmer failed to prosecute Jimmy Savile. Then the PM’s Director of Communications quit too. 5 mins with details and reaction. Produced by Michael Cox and Jack Kilbride. https://t.co/vPOelb9Tsz pic.twitter.com/Fna37x8ZIe
— Ros Atkins (@BBCRosAtkins) February 3, 2022
But Downing Street is trying to spin the news! Speaking to Sky News before the reported resignation of Narozanski was revealed, the energy minister Greg Hands said the resignations were evidence of the PM “taking charge.”
When asked about what was going on in Downing Street, he said: “Resignations have been made, resignations have been accepted.
“The prime minister was absolutely clear on Monday that there would be changes at the top of No 10 and that is what he has delivered.
“The Sue Gray report update said that there were failings at the top of the operation.
“This is the prime minister taking charge.”
But Labour’s Ed Miliband told Sky News that the current Downing Street crisis is like a “captain trying to throw crewmates overboard to stop the ship sinking.”
Resignations over PM’s Jimmy Savile comments
Munira Mirza has resigned, not over partygate, but over the PM’s “scurrilous” use of a discredited claim against Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer that he failed to prosecute Jimmy Savile when he was director of public prosecutions.
“She made clear her reasons for her resignation. The prime minister was equally clear that he disagreed with her,” Mr Hands said.
Reference to Jimmy Savile by Boris Johnson was a disgrace to Parliament & office of Prime Minister
ITS NOT TRUE
I was thereKeir Starmer had nothing to do with the decisions taken
On the contrary, He supported me in bringing 100s of child sex abusers to justice #SueGrayReport— nazir afzal (@nazirafzal) January 31, 2022
“The prime minister was also clear on Wednesday that he was referring back to the public apology made by Sir Keir Stamer in 2013.
“These are all events that happened many, many years ago. The time is now to move on.”
Prime Minister Boris Johnson has stepped back from his use of the claim after days of criticism.
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