Tim Montgomerie, the journalist who founded the influential ConservativeHome website, used to be an enthusiastic supporter of Boris Johnson. But, in an article for the New Statesman, he says he has lost faith in the prime minister because he now thinks the PM has given up listening to a wide range of voices and is now intolerant of criticism. Here’s an extract.

"It took six years for Margaret Thatcher’s governments to begin to stop listening to alternative voices. The same patterns had emerged within six months of Johnson becoming prime minister, and within six weeks of his general election victory last December. In her early years the Iron Lady relished argument and intellectual debate – and those internal jousts strengthened her for the public battles with her true opponents. In the starkest of contrasts, the team inside today’s No 10 has often preferred to greet internal dissent with retribution – much of it pre-briefed to favoured journalists. Throughout the Westminster village every Tory had quickly learned the score: do, say and tweet as you are told – or else. In February’s reshuffle we learned that earning the disfavour of key prime ministerial adviser Dominic Cummings was fatal, even if you were chancellor of the Exchequer. Everyone was dispensable. Except Dom."

In an interview on the World at One Montgomerie, who is particularly close to Sajid Javid, the former chancellor who was effectively sacked because he would not let No 10 choose his advisers, said he was especially worried about the influence of Dominic Cummings, Johnson’s chief adviser.

"What I worry about is that [Cummings] is a brilliant figure, but half of his ideas are crazy, and half of his ideas are good. He shouldn’t be in a leadership position, he shouldn’t be in a dominant position. And I’m afraid that is what has happened inside Downing Street ... The Vote Leave operation that Dominic Cummings ran during the EU referendum has essentially been transplanted into Downing Street, and there is a lack of diversity in thought and personnel as a result."

But he's there, and you are here seething.

worried not seething

saddo used to claim that he disliked the tories  and yet most of his posts seem to be having digs at anyone who points out their failures and weak leadership.