Thread by @alexwickham

NEW: A rift has opened up at the top of Boris Johnson’s govt between advisers loyal to Dom Cummings and other senior Johnson allies

— “parallel government” run by Eddie Lister
— top team split on aggressive media strategy
— election campaign power grab

buzzfeed.com/alexwickham/do…

Key dividing line between the Vote Leave faction which sees leaving the EU as the end goal and is willing to achieve it by any means necessary, and a group of advisers led by Lister who see Johnson’s administration as a long-term project beyond Brexit

buzzfeed.com/alexwickham/do…

A Tory election campaign against the Brexit Party would have to harden its position on any future deal, offering a reduced Brexit bill and rejecting ECJ involvement on citizens’ rights, as well as no compromise on the backstop, government official said buzzfeed.com/alexwickham/do…

Chief concern among rival faction is that an election fought on Farage’s territory following a Brexit delay is an extreme risk that could result in another hung parliament or a Corbyn-led coalition government and a second referendum buzzfeed.com/alexwickham/do…

— ERG MPs want a pact with Farage
— MPs on other side of party say no deal election strategy would alienate traditional Tory voters and cause resignations
— also say no deal pitch not credible as UK would have to come back to table buzzfeed.com/alexwickham/do…