REUTERS/Peter Nicholls Copyright: REUTERS/Peter Nicholls

Boris Johnson's closest political adviser, Dominic Cummings, has published a 2,200-word essay on his personal website - the first time he's blogged since entering Downing Street.

In the post he admits that despite serving under a Conservative prime minister, he is not a member of the Tory party.

"I have never been a member of any party", he writes, adding that under David Cameron and Theresa May "there were some big decisions about priorities that were wrong".

He also claims Boris Johnson promised him, and other members of the No 10 team, that he was "determined to change the Conservative Party".

Mr Cummings writes that three days before becoming PM, Mr Johnson asked him to "gather as many of the old Vote Leave team as possible and bring them to Downing Street to help deliver Brexit".

In an article which sees Mr Cummings warn about the dangers of voters not delivering a parliamentary majority for Mr Johnson, he also attacks some of the PM's political opponents - accusing "powerful insiders" of doing "absolutely anything to keep their grip on power and money."