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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Ex-Gove aide attacks David Cameron and his advisers | Ex-Gove aide attacks David Cameron and his advisers |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| David Cameron and his senior team are presiding over a directionless "shambles", according to an ally of Education Secretary Michael Gove. | David Cameron and his senior team are presiding over a directionless "shambles", according to an ally of Education Secretary Michael Gove. |
| Dominic Cummings, Mr Gove's former special adviser, told the Times the prime minister "bumbles... without the slightest sense of purpose". | Dominic Cummings, Mr Gove's former special adviser, told the Times the prime minister "bumbles... without the slightest sense of purpose". |
| He also criticised two of the PM's most senior aides, labelling one a "sycophant" and another "clueless". | He also criticised two of the PM's most senior aides, labelling one a "sycophant" and another "clueless". |
| A source close to Mr Gove said he had no prior knowledge of the article. | A source close to Mr Gove said he had no prior knowledge of the article. |
| The education secretary also disagreed with the comments about Number 10, the source added. | The education secretary also disagreed with the comments about Number 10, the source added. |
| Neither the Department for Education nor the Conservative Party commented to the BBC about the interview. | Neither the Department for Education nor the Conservative Party commented to the BBC about the interview. |
| Mr Cummings left the Department for Education in January having been a driving force behind the Government's free schools policy. | Mr Cummings left the Department for Education in January having been a driving force behind the Government's free schools policy. |
| But in an interview with the newspaper he expressed frustration at the pace of reform. | But in an interview with the newspaper he expressed frustration at the pace of reform. |
| "We could have gone faster, further, better," he said. | "We could have gone faster, further, better," he said. |
| The outspoken former aide laid the blame for blocking more radical ideas at the door of Mr Cameron's chief of staff Ed Llewellyn. | The outspoken former aide laid the blame for blocking more radical ideas at the door of Mr Cameron's chief of staff Ed Llewellyn. |
| "He wants to close things down," Mr Cummings said, accusing the senior adviser of being a "sycophant presiding over a shambolic court". | "He wants to close things down," Mr Cummings said, accusing the senior adviser of being a "sycophant presiding over a shambolic court". |
| He went on to criticise the prime minister's director of communications Craig Oliver, telling the newspaper: "He's just clueless." | He went on to criticise the prime minister's director of communications Craig Oliver, telling the newspaper: "He's just clueless." |
| The comments come after Mr Cummings' former boss had to apologise earlier this month for his part in a war of words with the home secretary over tackling religious extremism in schools. | The comments come after Mr Cummings' former boss had to apologise earlier this month for his part in a war of words with the home secretary over tackling religious extremism in schools. |
| But, bringing what the BBC's chief political correspondent Gary O'Donoghue said was "more unwelcome attention" on Mr Gove, his special adviser of three years went on: "As Bismarck said about Napoleon III, Cameron is a sphinx without a riddle. | But, bringing what the BBC's chief political correspondent Gary O'Donoghue said was "more unwelcome attention" on Mr Gove, his special adviser of three years went on: "As Bismarck said about Napoleon III, Cameron is a sphinx without a riddle. |
| "He bumbles from one shambles to another without the slightest sense of purpose." | "He bumbles from one shambles to another without the slightest sense of purpose." |
| He said the "public perception" of the prime minister was that "he does not understand the concerns of ordinary people". | He said the "public perception" of the prime minister was that "he does not understand the concerns of ordinary people". |
| "That's because they (Number 10) are very out of touch," he added. | "That's because they (Number 10) are very out of touch," he added. |
| Analysis | |
| By Sean Coughlan, education correspondent | |
| This could have been a story from The Thick of It, but from a perspective where it looks more like a manual on modern government than a satirical caricature. In this ex-adviser's irascible view, MPs are attention-seeking frauds, unable to move beyond gimmicks. And the PM is a blimp floating purposelessly above Westminster. Dominic Cummings is providing his own parallel narrative on what it means to be "governed by clowns". His Twitter account is filled with the smell of burning bridges. He warns of plans for a "trite history speech" on values from the prime minister this week. And he says Downing Street had to be dissuaded from a "crazy" plan to send all schools a copy of Magna Carta. Schools minister David Laws wasn't even told about his party leader's curriculum announcement, he says. And Number 10's plans for "getting on the front foot on British values" will "make you think you're on Brass Eye". Even when some people are or have been insiders, they still think like outsiders. | |
| Mr Cummings was also critical of Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg, saying: "He's a goner. People look at him and just have contempt for him - he's the author of his own misfortune." | Mr Cummings was also critical of Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg, saying: "He's a goner. People look at him and just have contempt for him - he's the author of his own misfortune." |
| Before joining the DfE, Mr Cummings worked as Michael Gove's chief of staff and before that as Conservative director of strategy under then leader Iain Duncan Smith. | Before joining the DfE, Mr Cummings worked as Michael Gove's chief of staff and before that as Conservative director of strategy under then leader Iain Duncan Smith. |
| Mr Gove, a close friend of David Cameron, has previously said the number of Old Etonians in the prime minister's inner circle - one of whom is Mr Llewellyn - was "ridiculous". | Mr Gove, a close friend of David Cameron, has previously said the number of Old Etonians in the prime minister's inner circle - one of whom is Mr Llewellyn - was "ridiculous". |