Ex-top aide denies leaking private texts between Johnson and Dyson
Cummings, who left PM's staff last year, also criticises the leader's competence, integrity
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Three British newspapers, citing sources in Prime Minister Boris Johnson's (left) office, reported on Friday that former top adviser Dominic Cummings (right) was behind the leak of text messages in which Mr Johnson promised to fix a tax issue for businessman James Dyson, who was working on supplying the government with ventilators.
PHOTOS: AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, REUTERS
LONDON • Mr Dominic Cummings, Prime Minister Boris Johnson's former top adviser, denied reports that he leaked Mr Johnson's private communications over Covid-19 ventilators and criticised the British leader's competence and integrity.
Mr Cummings, architect of the successful campaign for Britain to leave the European Union, left Mr Johnson's staff suddenly late last year, having previously been his most influential adviser over Brexit and a 2019 election campaign.
Three British newspapers, citing unidentified sources in Mr Johnson's office, reported on Friday that Mr Cummings was behind the leak of text messages in which Mr Johnson promised to fix a tax issue for businessman James Dyson.
Mr Johnson's office on Thursday launched an inquiry to find the source of the leak. Mr Dyson was working on supplying ventilators to the government for Covid-19 treatment and Mr Johnson has said he has no regrets over his actions.
Mr Cummings denied he had given the text messages to journalists and offered to cooperate with the leak inquiry.
"I am happy to meet with the Cabinet Secretary and for him to search my phone for Dyson messages," he wrote on his blog.
Prior to Mr Cummings' rebuttal to the reports, Mr Johnson had said: "I think people aren't so much interested in who's briefing what to whom as the substance of the issue at hand and the issue is really the question of the ventilators."
Mr Cummings' departure last year was seen as a chance to reset Mr Johnson's leadership as public confidence in his handling of the pandemic and Brexit sunk.
On his blog, Mr Cummings also said that he was not responsible for leaks over the cost of refurbishing Mr Johnson's residence, and a separate leak last year when details of the government's plan to start a lockdown were reported before a formal announcement.
Mr Johnson's office responded later on Friday, saying that the government had followed the rules in relation to the refurbishment.
The Prime Minister had never interfered in a government leak inquiry, the statement added.
"This government is entirely focused on fighting coronavirus, delivering vaccines and building back better," his office said.
The contents of Mr Cummings' wide-ranging blog concluded with the line: "It is sad to see the PM and his office fall so far below the standards of competence and integrity the country deserves."
Asked last month about the refurbishment plans, Mr Johnson's spokesman said all donations, gifts and benefits were properly declared and no party funds were being used to pay for the upgrades.
Mr Cummings is due to appear before a parliamentary committee on May 26 to discuss the pandemic response.
In response to the saga, Britain's opposition Labour Party yesterday called for an independent commission on ethics and standards in government after the former top adviser criticised the British leader's integrity.
"We need some kind of independent commission into ethics and standards in government, we can't let the Prime Minister mark his own homework on this," Mr Steve Reed, Labour spokesman on communities and local government, told BBC radio.
"This was the closest ally the Prime Minister's got and he's telling us the Prime Minister's behaviour was unethical, foolish and possibly illegal," he added.
REUTERS
