Steve Barclay, the new Downing Street chief of staff, will be hoping that his close links with many Conservative backbenchers will help the Prime Minister reset his premiership after a slew of letters to the 1922 committee called for his resignation.

As Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, he has served the Government from 70 Whitehall, the Cabinet Office building next to Downing Street that coordinates cross-departmental policy work and helps manage ministers’ response to the Covid-19 crisis.

Although he retains his title alongside his new role as chief of staff in the building next door, Mr Barclay will in practice hand much of his daily responsibilities for the Cabinet Office to his junior ministers – Michael Ellis, Leo Docherty and Lord True.

His new role will require him to steady the ship in Downing Street, coordinate the addition of Andrew Griffith as policy chief and manage a “reset” that officials hope will take attention away from the partygate scandal that has dominated Mr Johnson’s last two months in office.

Mr Barclay is well-liked among backbenchers, after rising to prominence as Theresa May’s Brexit Secretary between 2018 and 2020.