Dominic Raab’s glamorous adviser Beth Armstrong was last night at the centre of a full-blown ‘dirty tricks’ row involving her former boss Michael Gove.

Furious supporters of Mr Gove blamed his former aide for his shock cocaine confession appearing in an explosive new biography.

Ms Armstrong, 30, served as his taxpayer-funded special adviser when Mr Gove was Justice Secretary and was a key lieutenant during his abortive bid for No 10 in 2016. She went on to work for Mr Raab, now Mr Gove’s rival in the latest battle for the Tory leadership, and remains on his staff.

Michael Gove with former aide Beth Armstrong after announcing his Tory leadership bid in 2016

Dominic Raab’s glamorous adviser Beth Armstrong was last night at the centre of a full-blown ‘dirty tricks’ row involving her former boss Michael Gove

During the 2016 campaign, aides put Mr Gove ‘through his paces’ about what to expect from media questioning. When asked if he had taken drugs, the biography claims Mr Gove stunned the room by admitting: ‘Yes, cocaine.’

The biography – Michael Gove: A Man In A Hurry – by journalist Owen Bennett, recalls the incident in detail, sparking a bitter blame game amongst Mr Gove’s top team for the leak, with suspicion falling on Ms Armstrong, who was part of the mock interrogation.

One insider told The Mail on Sunday it ‘doesn’t take Sherlock to work out how this got out’. Another claimed Ms Armstrong had the ‘dark arts flowing through her’ and had cut her teeth as an ‘Opposition researcher’ at Conservative Party HQ, digging up dirt about Labour.

Last night, Mr Raab’s team said: ‘This did not come from anyone involved in the Raab campaign. We would never look to score cheap political points like this. We have nothing but admiration for Michael Gove and all he has achieved as a Minister. We simply disagree with him on his decision to take No Deal off the table.’

Last night, Mr Gove’s spokesman insisted he was not seeking to blame anyone for the revelation, saying: ‘Any such sources do not speak for Michael.’