Jonathan Powell, Blair’s former chief of staff, on Cummings…

“One prediction I think I am fairly safe in making for this year is that Boris Johnson will survive this year politically, but I don’t believe Dominic Cummings will. When you put yourself front and centre and make yourself public in this way you do end up like Rasputin in the River Neva in chains. That’s what happens. You become the target. Maybe he wants to. He says he doesn’t want to stay there long. I don’t think he will be staying there long. I hope his disappearance doesn’t stop reform, because that reform is needed. Both in the civil service and goodness knows in public services more generally and the way that spending is allocated across the country. So I hope that he isn’t a victim in his public dance with death.”