Munira Mirza, Boris Johnson's long-term political advisor and close ally has quit Downing Street in protest of the Prime Minister's recent Jimmy Savile slur.
Ms Mirza, who has worked alongside Boris Johnson for 14 years, was once described as the woman who inspired the Prime Minster the most, alongside his grandmother.
Described by Boris Johnson as "hip, cool, groovy and generally on trend", the former head of policy had an unusual rise to the top of the Tory party.
The child of immigrant parents, Ms Mirza was the only student from her state school to win a place at Oxford University. Her interest in politics spawned during her studies, when she joined the Revolutionary Communist Party and contributed to the magazine Living Marxism.
But how did she rise through the ranks from lefty student to powerful former Tory aide?
Who is Munira Mirza?
Munira Mirza was born in Oldham, Greater Manchester to Pakistani parents. Her father worked as a factory worker and her mother was an Urdu tutor.
She went to Oldham High School before moving to Oxford University where she studied English Literature.
Describing herself as an 'museum junkie', she spent her early career working in the arts, spending a brief stint at the Tate.
In 2005 she moved to the Tory think tank Policy Exchange, where her work criticised the government's efforts to encourage social inclusivity through art.
From thereon, Ms Mirza continued to question the concept of social inclusivity and cultural diversity within British society, publishing her book The Politics of Culture: The Case for Universalism in 2012.
By 2008, she had already started working under Boris Johnson, as Cultural Adviser for the Mayor of London.
In 2016, Mirza was a vocal advocate of Brexit and has previously described institutional racism as 'perception more than a reality'.
She has also publicly defended Mr Johnson's infamous article which likened women in burqas to 'bank robbers' or 'letterboxes', branding the furious response "hysteria".
Despite Ms Mirza's public attacks on "grievance culture", the Tory party hired her to lead the race equality commission.
They faced plenty of criticism for appointing Ms Mirza to lead the research, nonetheless she remained integral to the report, which claimed the UK was not institutionally racist.
Munira Mirza's husband Dougie Smith
A powerful political mover in her own right, Munira Mirza is married to the mysterious and influential senior aide Dougie Smith.
In 2003, he reportedly co-founded 'Fever Parties', an agency that organises upmarket swinging parties for London's elite.
Little is known about Dougie's position in government, but Gordon Rayner wrote in The Telegraph last September that the “curious couple [...] happen to be the most powerful husband and wife in British politics” after Boris and Carrie Johnson.
Mr Smith has a history of working in think tanks, operating in Tory circles throughout his career.
