Johnson’s spin doctor accuses Tory party of ‘self-harm’

Boris Johnson’s top spin doctor accused the Tory party of having a “collective appetite for self-harm” as he left No 10.

Guto Harri, who was the prime minister’s director of communications, said his time with Mr Johnson in Downing Street was “far too brief”.

Mr Harri was called in following the partygate scandal in February and said the job was “relentless”.

In a post on LinkedIn he said: “Desk cleared, passes and IT returned, friends embraced, colleagues thanked. My time at No 10 is over.

“It was never likely to be long, and for someone who studied, reported and got a taste for doing politics, it was far too brief.

“I saw an exceptional prime minister put in a massive shift, but the die – tragically – was cast.

“Seven months on the front line, was relentless, exhausting, a huge challenge intellectually, emotionally and even physically.

“At times, not least when the Conservative party showed its collective appetite for self-harm, it was brutal.

“But it was also exhilarating, deeply fulfilling and an enormous privilege.”

He offered his best wishes to Mr Johnson’s successor Liz Truss: “She also appreciates that there are huge challenges ahead … so to put it bluntly we all need her to succeed.”