DOMINIC Cummings sensationally left his job at Number 10 Downing Street after it was reported he lost a huge power struggle engulfing the cabinet.
But Mr Cummings – the brains behind the Boris Johnson's Brexit campaign – left Downing Street last night (Friday November 13, 2020) for the last time. But why has he left his job as Boris Johnson's top adviser?
What was Dominic Cummings salary?
Special advisers working in the cabinet are usually paid directly by the Government.
Mr Cummings was considered a civil servant, appointed under Article 3 of the Civil Service Order in Council in 1995.
The divisive figure's annual salary was £95,000 to £99,999, according to details published in the government’s annual report on special advisers in 2019.
But he was not the highest paid adviser on the Downing Street payroll.
Sir Lee Cain, Sir Ed Lister, and Munira Mirza reportedly took a top salary of between £140,000 and £145,000 per year.
Why did Dominic Cummings leave?
Mr Cummings was the centre of a political storm after it came to light that he broke coronavirus restrictions to travel 400 miles from London to County Durham.
He undertook the journey, with his wife, Mary Wakefield and their children, to be near family while the couple were experiencing symptoms of coronavirus.
As many called for the PM's adviser to be sacked over the scandal, he held a press conference in May 2020, where he defiantly said he had "no regrets" and would continue to working for the prime minister.
But on Friday night, following the resignation of Mr Johnson's chief of staff, Lee Cain, a day before, Mr Cummings was seen leaving No.10 with a box of his belongings, symbolising his final visit to the Prime Minister's office.
The Brexit guru, who had originally planned to leave in the New Year, chose to exit through the front door past waiting photographers carrying a cardbox box full of his possessions.
The former Vote Leave boss – who shot to political fame working on the Brexit campaign in 2016 – had confirmed his departure late after losing a key ally in spin doctor Lee Cain.
A No10 spokesman refused to comment publicly on the reports.
But they said: "The Prime Minister has today asked Sir Edward Lister to take on the role of chief of staff for an interim period pending a permanent appointment to the post."
It's understood that Mr Cummings and Mr Cain will continue to work for the PM and No10 in some form until mid-December – essentially being put on gardening leave.
The Tory campaigner is known for his aggressive style – and was played by Benedict Cumberbatch in a Channel 4 drama about the EU referendum.
But Mr Cummings has long caused tensions in Government, wanting to overhaul the civil service and shake up crusty Whitehall departments.
Yesterday the PM's team were accused of fighting “like rats in a sack” on the day it should have been responding to the highest number of Covid cases ever recorded.
Mr Johnson is now under pressure to bring in "someone with big boy pants" to get a grip of No10.
What were the texts about Carrie Symonds?
The turf war follows a bitter power struggle between aides and his fiancé Carrie Symonds.
The Prime Minister is claimed to have ordered the senior adviser to leave after being made aware of messages that had been sent about his fiancée.
It was claimed this week by the Telegraph that Cummings' crew of "Brexit Boys" had seen them refer to Ms Symonds as "Princess Nuts Nuts" behind her back.
And Mr Cummings was last night sent packing after a showdown with the PM – seen again leaving his home in London this morning and refusing to comment.
Yet the PM sensationally banished the guru and his long time spin doctor Lee Cain – a move heralded by senior Tories last night as Boris “taking back control of his premiership”.
The Sun has learnt a livid Prime Minister wanted him and ousted PR man Lee Cain out “sooner rather than later” and they will work out their notice away from Downing Street.
Insiders pointed to vicious negative briefings to the press about Ms Symonds and anonymous claims that chief Brexit negotiator David Frost could follow the pair out of the door as “crossing the line.”
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