Former Chancellor Ken Clarke says Boris Johnson's government 'focuses too much on tomorrow's headlines'
Conservative Peer Ken Clarke has said the government is focused too much on "tomorrow's headlines" with the prime minister's advisers wielding too much power over key decisions.
Speaking on ITV's Peston programme, the former Tory Chancellor and Home Secretary described Boris Johnson's government as operating "low-grade populism" and insisted that key decisions should be reserved for cabinet ministers.
His comments came as it was announced that Lee Cain, Downing Street's director of communications, had resigned after being offered the role of the Prime Minister’s chief of staff.
The move has sparked rumours that Dominic Cummings, chief adviser to Mr Johnson, may also resign.
He said: "[Mr Cummings] is obviously exercising too powerful a role in the government, which is certainly agreed upon by quite a large number of the people I know, including quite a few who are holding senior posts in government."
On whether Mr Cummings should resign, he said: "Whether or not it would be a good thing I've no idea, or whether some other campaigning guru will be found to replace him as the key man in government, I haven't the first idea.
"I at the moment, you'll not be surprised to know, am far removed from the inner workings of 10 Downing Street."
"The idea that Downing Street is full of press officers and campaign strategists fighting amongst each other is a relatively new one to me," Lord Clarke said adding that it was "all a bit of a shambles".
He added: "The Cabinet are, one hopes, all of them capable of taking big decisions and that is the way of governing the country.
"It does sometimes seem to me that all the key decisions are being taken are people who are more worried about tomorrow’s headlines."
"It’s what’s becoming populism," he added.
"It's a rather low-grade populism.
"I certainly think every cabinet minister should be party to the big decisions and every cabinet minister should know what’s going on," he said.
Mr Clarke revealed that he had met Mr Cain in unusual circumstances when he was campaigning for the Labour Party.
He said: "The man who's resigned I only met when he chased me dressed as a chicken, when he was campaigning for the Labour Party a few years ago and I have not, I'm afraid, met him since, and seemed a decent enough chicken at the time."
Also featured on the programme was Work and Pensions Secretary Thérèse Coffey who, in a pre-recorded interview said that the role of chief of staff is an important role for the PM.
"[The Prime Minister] has a variety of really high class advisers," she said.
Ms Coffey added: "I'm not really going to get involved in really one job in Downing Street where naturally I'm trying to make sure that we do our best to help 1.6 million people find a job as soon as possible, so I'll leave that speculation to the Westminster bubble."
Asked when we might see a return to relative normality, she said that there had been an "economic impact as a consequence of coronavirus" which will take businesses time to "regain their confidence".
She added: "Vacancies are up, I know unemployment's up but vacancies are rising andpart of my role and my department and all our work coaches around the country is to try and help people get ready and get back to work."