Boris Johnson has hired a new chief of staff and spin doctor after five senior aides walked out this week.
Cabinet office minister and Tory MP Steve Barclay is being drafted in as the new No10 chief of staff while TV journalist Guto Harri becomes the PM’s top spin doctor.
Mr Harri worked with Mr Johnson as chief of staff when he was London Mayor and in July last year was suspended and later quit GBNews for taking the knee on air.
But the PM has yet to find anyone to take on the role of Downing Street’s new Permanent Secretary.
Mr Johnson said: “The changes to my senior team will improve how No 10 operates.”
The Mirror understands work to find a replacement for top civil servant Martin Reynolds only started yesterday, and would follow the standard Whitehall process - which could take some time.
The PM had already appointed one Tory MP - Andrew Griffith - to run his policy team after the exit of long-time ally Munira Mirza.
A spokesperson for Mr Barclay said: “The Prime Minister today appointed the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and the Minister for the Cabinet Office as the Chief of Staff for No10 Downing Street.
“He will intergrate the new Office of the Prime Minister and the Cabinet Office.”
Number 10 tried to frame Thursday’s mass departure of four senior members of staff as part of his promised ‘shake up’ in response to Partygate.
But insiders suggesting Downing Street was trying to mask the chaos created Mirza's unexpected resignation.
"Going to turn the lights out when I leave the office tonight as by then I might be the only person left,” one No10 insider said.
Mr Johnson has been left struggling to fill the vacancies left by departing Chief of Staff Dan Rosenfeld, top official Martin Reynolds and comms chief Jack Doyle.
The PM had tried to shore up support from his MPs by claiming Australian spin-doctor Lynton Crosby would be returning to help clean up the mess.
But it’s believed Mr Crosby will be remaining in Australia, and was surprised to hear Mr Johnson’s claims - with a source suggesting the even the “Wizard of Oz” thought Mr Johnson’s administration was “a lost cause.”
"Scrape off the barnacles and there’s no ship underneath," they said.
Mr Johnson said: “This week I promised change, so that we can get on with the job the British public elected us to do. We need to continue our recovery from the pandemic, help hundreds of thousands more people into work, and deliver our ambitious agenda to level up the entire country, improving people’s opportunities regardless of where they’re from.
“The changes I’m announcing to my senior team today will improve how No 10 operates, strengthen the role of my Cabinet and backbench colleagues, and accelerate our defining mission to level up the country.”
