The fallout from Munira Mirza’s resignation

Tory MPs are in a jumpy mood this afternoon after The Spectator revealed that No. 10 policy chief Munira Mirza has quit Downing Street, citing Boris Johnson’s refusal to apologise over his Jimmy Savile attack on Keir Starmer. Given that Mirza is a key ally of the Prime Minister’s — dating back to his City Hall days — it is has led to doubts about the longevity of Johnson’s premiership if even his longest-standing supporters are walking. It also raises questions about the direction of the government. 

In a bid to suggest there is no drift, Downing Street has wasted no time in announcing Mirza’s replacement. Andrew Griffith has been appointed as the new head of the Prime Minister’s policy unit. Griffith is a close ally of the Prime Minister — he lent his Westminster house to his leadership campaign, served as his business adviser and after being elected as an MP in 2019 was appointed to as the Prime Minister’s PPS. He is also on good terms with Johnson’s chief of staff Dan Rosenfield. 

While his move to the policy brief is a big promotion, it reflects not only Johnson’s wish to say it’s business as normal but his desire to bring the parliamentary party closer together with the policy unit. There was a suggestion of this on Monday night when Johnson told MPs that he would bring in 1922 committee policy boards as a way of making sure their voices were heard. There has been frustration for some time among MPs that there is little policy to point to. As we discuss on today’s Coffee House Shots, that’s been largely down to a combination of the pandemic and Johnson’s own indecision. More backbench input could help to remedy this. 

Part of the problem Johnson faces with Mirza’s departure is that she was well-liked among MPs — with many believing she reflected their desire for policies that would succeed in the Red Wall, including on culture wars issues. There is no suggestion that there is about to be a change of course when it comes to the direction of policy. Instead, figures in No. 10 view Griffith’s promotion as the Prime Minister both rewarding loyalty and appointing a continuity candidate rather than pushing their own agenda. While some MPs have criticised just how quickly Mirza’s replacement has been announced, the hope in No. 10 is that will help calm nerves by suggesting there is no vacuum.