Guido can reveal yet more departures from CCHQ. Head of Media Monitoring Gareth Milner has become a bit of a legend at Matthew Parker Street after surviving two deployments to Afghanistan and the 2017 general election campaign. Milner is much-loved by colleagues – not just for the sizeable amount of Lego he has installed around the office – he is one of the good guys in Westminster, has a great nose for a story and a thug life meme, and will be extremely tough to replace. Milner has been poached as the new Head of Digital at the Centre for Policy Studies starting in October, a great hire for them. Congratulations… 

The CCHQ digital team has been hit by heavy losses. Head of Online Marketing Tony Hinds and Head of Film and Video Jonny Piper have left. Hinds and Piper are the last links to the Craig Elder 2015 digital team and leave the current operation with just three people and no election experience. Which hardly bodes well when the Tory digital output is already outclassed by Labour and Momentum on a daily basis. Starting to resemble the Marie Celeste over there…