NEW: Cummings hits back. Says

- He wasn't source of Dyson story, he doesn't have the texts in question but does have OTHER texts between PM/Dyson.
-Says he told PM his plan on flat refurbishment was "unethical, foolish, possibly illegal" and broke rules https://dominiccummings.com/2021/04/23/statement-regarding-no10-claims-today/

"I am also happy to publish or give to the Cabinet Secretary the PM/Dyson messages that I do have, which concerned ventilators, bureaucracy and covid policy — not tax issues."

Completely sensational accusations from Cummings.

Again and again accuses the Prime Minister of unethical behaviour: " I told him that he could not possibly cancel an inquiry about a leak that affected millions of people, just because it might implicate his girlfriend’s friends.”

"I also have WhatsApp messages with very senior officials about this matter which are definitive."

Cummings point blank accuses the Prime Minister of lying: "The PM knows that I was not the source of the leak and that the Cabinet Secretary authorised the Prime Minister’s Official Spokesman to tell the media this, yet he has now authorised his DOC to make this accusation."

On the flat: "I refused to help him organise these payments. My knowledge about them is therefore limited. I would be happy to tell the Cabinet Secretary or Electoral Commission what I know concerning this matter."

"The proper way for such issues to be handled is via an urgent Parliamentary inquiry into the government’s conduct over the covid crisis which ought to take evidence from all key players under oath and have access to documents."

We are coming to a year now where the Prime Minister and senior Cabinet ministers sacrificed a lot of political capital over Dominic Cummings in order to keep him in a job, as well as a lot of goodwill in the Covid crisis from the public. And now here we are.

Normally I find the psychodrama of this stuff tedious. But hard to overstate the seriousness of these accusations. A man who was at the heart of Downing St has just accused the PM of dishonesty, lying and unethical behaviour and he's being very clear he says he has more to give.

To recap Cummings accuses Johnson (and No 10) of

1) Lying about the leaks
2) Trying to stop an official internal inquiry because outcome would annoy his fiancee
3) Unethical behaviour over the refurbishment of his flat
4) More generally behaving without competence or integrity

Number 10 not commenting for now. Impossible to believe it can stay that way given the nature of Cummings' allegations.

Number 10 response:
-Says "The PM has never interfered in a government leak inquiry"

Of course, Cummings' suggestion wasn't quite that. He alleges that the Prime Minister suggested to him that they should interfere. That suggestion has not been denied.

So to recap. Cummings accuses Johnson of

1) Lying about the leaks
2) mooting idea of nixing an internal inquiry because outcome might annoy his fiancee
3) potential unethical behaviour over the refurbishment of his flat
4 behaving without either competence or integrity

Or if you’re just joining us

Other question lurking behind this- Boris Johnson put Dominic Cummings at the heart of Downing St, relied on him, sacrificed enormous political capital to keep him. If, as is being suggested, Johnson now considers him a total wrong ‘un, what does that say about the PM’s judgment?

It’s not as if plenty of people within the Tory Party didn’t warn him off DC.

After a week of stories about suggested sleaze, lobbying and now serious accusations about the prime minister by his erstwhile most senior political adviser you might think the government would send a representative to be subject to scrutiny on the programme tonight- but no.

My report from tonight’s Newsnight on Johnson, Cummings and what happens now can be watched here. And it’s Johnson, not Cummings, who has most to lose. https://trib.al/TiFzT4f