[Kate!]

Boris Johnson's influential director of communications, Lee Cain, has quit government this evening in a shock resignation after 24 hours of rumours he was due to be promoted.

Cain, 39, worked for Vote Leave, and then for*Johnson for three years and is considered one of his most loyal team members.*

There is also speculation that chief strategist Dom Cummings is on the verge of resigning. The turmoil at No 10*comes in the midst of the second wave of coronavirus and without a Brexit deal in place.

After stories appeared last night that he was due to take on a more senior role, as the*PM's chief of staff, rumours circulated*that his girlfriend Carrie Symonds was against his promotion and that a number of special advisers were also unhappy.*

The BBC's Laura*Kuenssberg reported how Allegra Stratton, the former ITV journalist drafted in to be the PM’s spokesman at the new televised press briefings, was also unhappy about Cain’s potential appointment, as is the PM’s influential policy adviser Munira Mirza.

Cain confirmed in a statement that he had been asked to take on the chief of staff job but is resigning.*