Boris Johnson is in talks to appoint a senior ally of election guru Sir Lynton Crosby to be his new 10 Downing Street enforcer, as he attempts to see off a series of threats to his leadership.
The Prime Minister wants to hire David Canzini, a director at Sir Lynton’s firm CTF Partners who has known Mr Johnson for more than two decades, to be his new chief adviser, The Telegraph can disclose.
Allies of the Prime Minister are hoping that Mr Canzini can be appointed before what could be a testy meeting on Wednesday between Mr Johnson and his backbenchers furious about a series of own goals which have damaged the Conservatives’ popularity.
Talks between Mr Canzini are understood to be “wide ranging”. One government source said: “He has been approached. They are hoping that he will take a significant cut in salary.”
Mr Canzini, a former director of campaigning at the Conservative Party, was tipped for the role a year ago when Dominic Cummings resigned.
Answering Tory calls for a ‘grown-up’ adviser
If Mr Canzini takes the role, it will go some way to alleviating concern among Tory backbenchers who have been calling for a “grown-up” adviser who can help Mr Johnson. One Tory MP said he was “a f—–g hard man. He can provide advice in a very direct way”.
Mr Canzini did not respond to a request for comment on Sunday night. Number 10 declined to comment.
The news came as members of the 92 Group of Conservative MPs are due to meet Mr Johnson in the coming week to urge him to take control of the Number 10 operation.
MPs on the group’s executive tried to meet with the Prime Minister last Wednesday, but he cancelled. One Tory source said: “What the PM needs is direction – he has got a lot of inexperienced people around him.”
The group is the largest single grouping in the Tory party and was established at a meeting at 92 Cheyne Walk in Chelsea, south-west London, in 1964 to “keep the Conservative party conservative”.
It is chaired by Bill Wiggin, the veteran Tory MP. Other key members include Sir Bernard Jenkin, Sir Edward Leigh, Sir John Redwood and Sir Christopher Chope. Membership is by invitation only.
