Dominic Cummings blamed as Sajid Javid forced out of chancellor job

Prime minister Boris Johnson, chancellor of the exchequer Sajid Javid and home secretary Priti Patel. Photograph: House of Commons/PA. PA Wire/PA Images

Sajid Javid has quit as chancellor after Number 10 ordered him to sack his team of aides.

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Boris Johnson had been expected to keep Javid in post, so news of his resignation shocked Westminster, with the chancellor himself due to deliver the post-Brexit budget to oversee financial stability as the UK leaves the European Union.

Allies of the former chancellor said Johnson had ordered him to fire all of his senior aides if he wanted to remain at the Treasury - something Mr Javid refused to do.

The bombshell came after long-standing rumours of tensions between the ex-chancellor and Johnson's closest aide Dominic Cummings.

In August he had fired Javid's aide Sonia Khan and it appears Number 10 wanted to go further in keeping a closer eye on the chancellor.

Javid said that "no self-respecting minister" could accept the condition being imposed.

"He has turned down the job of chancellor of the exchequer," a source close to Javid said.

"The prime minister said he had to fire all his special advisers and replace them with Number 10 special advisers to make it one team.

"The chancellor said no self-respecting minister would accept those terms."

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Labour MPs were quick to blame the prime minister's chief adviser Dominic Cummings as the driving force behind the shock resignation.

David Lammy took a swipe at the influential Brexit strategist on Twitter, writing: "Remember when this lot dragged us out of the EU because they didn't like 'unelected bureaucrats' having power?"

Shadow chancellor John McDonnell said it is "clear Dominic Cummings has won the battle to take absolute control of the Treasury and has installed his stooge as the chancellor".

Labour deputy leadership candidate Angela Rayner called the process the "Dominic Cummings reshuffle", while Labour peer Andrew Adonis said "the big story of the reshuffle is that Johnson has appointed Cummings as chancellor and co-prime minister".

Rishi Sunak was announced as Javid's replacement shortly after.