Guto Harri has paid tribute to departed Prime Minister Boris Johnson as he announced he had left his Downing Street job. The former journalist became Boris Johnson's director of communications in February of this year but announced via LinkedIn that he was leaving the post after seven months.
This comes after Liz Truss was appointed as the new Prime Minister having won the race to become the leader of the Conservative Party. Mr Johnson left his role on Tuesday after three years and 44 days in office.
Mr Harri said working at Number 10 had been "relentless" and "exhausting" but "deeply fulfilling" at the same time. He praised the former PM for his work but claimed the Conservative Party had a "collective appetite for self-harm". He also said that Liz Truss was an experienced politician and that the public needed her to succeed during this challenging time.
Read more: When might Liz Truss face her first general election as prime minister?
"Some thoughts as the PM and his team depart Downing Street," he said. "Desk cleared, passes and IT returned, friends embraced, colleagues thanked. My time at No10 is over. It was never likely to be long, and for someone who studied, reported, and got a taste for doing politics, it was far too brief. I saw an exceptional Prime Minister put in a massive shift, but the die – tragically – was cast. Seven months on the front line, was relentless, exhausting, a huge challenge intellectually, emotionally and even physically.
"At times, not least when the Conservative party showed its collective appetite for self-harm, it was brutal. But it was also exhilarating, deeply fulfilling and an enormous privilege. Listening in on intimate calls with Volodomyr Zelensky, joining world leaders at global summits, helping a great team to move the U.K. on from Covid and cope with a cost of living crisis, recruiting police, doctors and nurses, building hospitals, commissioning nuclear reactors and offshore wind farms, addressing long-neglected issues with housing, social care and food, not to mention the inevitable response to 'events, dear boy'.
"So a huge thanks now to the excellent people who kept the show on the road, calm, composed and committed throughout. And all the best to the new PM. Liz Truss has a wealth of experience, terrific people in her cabinet and engine room. She also appreciates that there are huge challenges ahead... so to put it bluntly we all need her to succeed."
Prior to his position as the director of communications Mr Harri had also worked as Boris Johnson's spokesman and chief of staff during his first term as London mayor. The 56-year-old was also a former adviser to Mr Johnson and a committed Remainer who once criticised the Prime Minister's political style.
He was previously the BBC's chief political correspondent and returned to broadcasting in 2018, working for S4C. Last year he quit GB News following a row over him taking the knee on air during a debate about racism directed at England football players.
READ NEXT:
- Cardiff hotel to close to provide accommodation for asylum seekers
- Senior police officers sacked for gross misconduct but public denied details
- Liz Truss gives big hint to voters on date of next general election
- Governance in Wales is a convoluted mess that needs to be fixed
- Why is Boris Johnson called a greased piglet?
