Last Friday morning, a group of Tory advisers, including Boris Johnson’s new deputy chief of staff, David Canzini, held a meeting at Conservative party headquarters to discuss political strategy. A self-styled hard man who uses the name @DCGrumpy on Twitter, Canzini was one of those brought in to Downing Street a few weeks ago to sort the place out after “partygate”, and resurrect Johnson’s fortunes.
“Canzini is one of Lynton Crosby’s people,” said a party source, referring to the veteran Australian election guru who worked with Johnson on his successful 2008 mayoral campaign in London. “They think Ukraine has changed everything, taken the focus off partygate. They think, with the war, that everything can move on, and they get him re-elected in 2023 or 2024.”
