Question tonight is whether this was deliberate strategy to make Javid resign or whether No 10 genuinely thought rather lose his team than lose his job - as reported earlier, No 10 was hopeful he would take the deal
Now sources suggest that after the conversation btw Johnson and Javid when he said he wouldn't stay, a series of other figures from No 10 lobbied him to change his mind but he still refused
It didn't come all completely out of the blue, as per @PaulGoodmanCH not so long ago, the idea was around that he'd be asked to sacrifice his team to stay, and Javid had discussed what he would do if it happened
@PaulGoodmanCH No 10 must have gamed what they would do if he refused, and there were certainly tensions btw Javid + Cummings, no question - but it doesn't seem this was a straightforward and dastardly plan to get him out - more nuanced as always
@PaulGoodmanCH But it seems the calculations of risk were out of whack - one confidant of Javid suggests No 10 might have thought there was an 80/20 chance he would stay if they went ahead with the demand to sack his team, but the reality was it was more like 20/80
@PaulGoodmanCH One cabinet minister suggests Javid departure was 'a little bit of accident, a little bit of design'
Hear the Chief Whip, and Eddie Lister were among those trying to get Javid to change his mind in a series of side meetings, then Johnson and Javid had another private meeting and he wouldn't budge, so he quit
@PaulGoodmanCH Will put this irritatingly long thread into a blog to read in a more sensible way later
