Boris Johnson has lost the man he wanted as chief of staff. This row is fundamentally about who governs Britain
With England in lockdown, the UK’s coronavirus death toll passing 50,000 and Brexit talks close to deadline, one could be forgiven for asking why the resignation of Lee Cain matters. At a difficult time, the departure of a No 10 aide few people had heard of has topped the news agenda.
It is tempting to dismiss Cain’s exit as a Westminster-bubble story, but it’s much more important than that. It’s about the future direction of Boris Johnson’s government – whom he listens to, and what he does. It is, fundamentally, about who governs Britain. Should Johnson’s government be a Vote Leave one that is focused on its new “red wall” voters, or should he change tack and usher in a new era of cuddly Conservativism?
