By Ben Kerrigan-
A good friend of Carrie Johnson has left Boris Johnson’s team of top advisers as the prime minister shakes up his Downing Street operation, Number 10 has confirmed.
Henry Newman who is close to the prime minister’s wife will return to work with Michael Gove at the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, having previously been his special adviser.
The PM’s official spokesman said “it was a mutually agreed decision with the prime minister for him to go to the department of levelling up”.
He said it was a “vitally important department, where he will be able to provide advice to Michael Gove”.
Mr Newman was once described by Mrs Johnson, a former Conservative Party head of communications, as one of her “favourite people”.
The PM was persuaded to get rid of Mr. Newman from the prime minister’s top team of advisers following concerns that Johnson’s wife had too much of an influence on him.
It comes as Mr Johnson established a new Office of the Prime Minister, which will be integrated with the Cabinet Office under a powerful new Chief of Staff, Cabinet Office Minister Steve Barclay.
He said: “I think what people want is for the government to focus, not on stuff going on at Westminster, but to focus on life beyond Westminster, and to focus on the needs of the country – and that is what we’re doing.