A big boost for the ‘No’ campaign, who have signed up top British Bankers’ Association spinner Paul Stephenson to run their comms. Dominic Cummings is hiring:

“If you want to get overpaid for lying to people, call the EU Commission or Roland Rudd – he tells the media he wants to pay his campaign manager 500k: you can hire 20 junior people for that and I’ll bet they’ll drive the guy on 500k round the bend before they’re done…”

Stephenson is a former Tory press officer turned DfT and then DH SpAd, and one of the best in the business. His appointment also neuters the line that the City is pro-EU, as clearly the bankers’ spinner disagrees. Downing Street will rue the day they didn’t hug him close and make him an offer he couldn’t refuse…