BORIS Johnson has appointed the brains behind the controversial Vote Leave Brexit bus pledge to be his new Chief of Staff.
Dominic Cummings, who was found in contempt of parliament in March for refusing to appear before MPs, will serve as one of the Prime Minister’s key aides.
The outspoken and abrasive strategist coined the phrase “vote leave, take control”.
He also came up with the promise of an extra £350 million to be spent on the NHS every week; a vow that was famously plastered on the Vote Leave campaign’s battle bus.
READ MORE: David Mundell loses job in brutal Boris Johnson Cabinet purge
Just four months ago he was ruled to be in contempt of parliament after failing to appear before the Commons’ Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee during its investigation into fake news stories during the EU referendum campaign.
News of the appointment sparked outrage.
Sarah Wollaston, a former Tory MP who quit the Tories this year and now sits as an independent, called it “an appalling error of judgement to appoint someone who has been in contempt of parliament”.
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel