Theresa May’s chief aides Nick Timothy and Fiona Hill QUIT after Election 2017 result as Tories warned of leadership challenge if ‘toxic’ pair didn’t resign
Mr Timothy said the results were clearly a 'huge disappointment' for the Conservatives but blamed it on a Labour surge, not Tory failures
THERESA MAY's two top aides Fiona Hill and Nick Timothy have both quit after top Tories warned the PM would face a leadership challenge if they didn't go.
Mr Timothy said the election result was a "huge disappointment" - but blamed the loss on a "surge for Labour" rather than the Tories' own decisions.
Mr Timothy, who has worked with Mrs May since she was in the Home Office, wrote today that he hoped MPs would get behind the Prime Minister for the good of Brexit, but that he admitted the social care policy was a key failure on his behalf.
Pressure was mounting on the PM to stand down today - after two thirds of members said in a poll they thought she quit.
Both aides were in the firing line for the disasterous election result which saw Mrs May lose her majority - and 17 MPs.
The PM is expected to reshuffle her top team later but so far her cabinet is the same - with Philip Hammond, Boris Johnson, Amber Rudd, David Davis and Michael Fallon remaining in position.
Mr Timothy "I take responsibility for my part in this election campaign, which was the oversight of our policy programme. In particular, I regret the decision not to include in the manifesto a ceiling as well as a floor in our proposal to help meet the increasing cost of social care.
"But I would like to make clear that the bizarre media reports about my own role in the policy’s inclusion are wrong: it had been the subject of many months of work within Whitehall, and it was not my personal pet project.
"I chose not to rebut these reports as they were published, as to have done so would have been a distraction for the campaign.
"But I take responsibility for the content of the whole manifesto, which I continue to believe is an honest and strong programme for government."
He went on to say that the Conservative campaign "failed to notice the surge in Labour support" - taking aim at those like Sir Lyton Crosby who were running the election messages.
"The Conservative election campaign, however, failed to get [that Britain is a divided country] and Theresa's positive plan for the future across" he said.
Mr Timothy said this was partly "because modern campaigning techniques require ever-narrower targeting of specific voters, and we were not talking to the people who decided to vote for Labour."
With Brexit talks set to begin in just 10 days time, he also stressed the need to support the PM - and not appear weak in front of Brussels chiefs.
"I hope the Conservative Party in Parliament gets behind the Prime Minister, and allows her the political space to negotiate that deal," he said.
Fiona Hill said in a statement: "It’s been a pleasure to serve in government, and a pleasure to work with such an excellent Prime Minister. I have no doubt at all that Theresa May will continue to serve and work hard as Prime Minister – and do it brilliantly."
Tory MP Anna Soubry said the news was "excellent" and "the best thing he's done in a long time".
And Nigel Evans said he hoped a more ";inclusive" style of government would now begin. "Nick Timothy was one of the architects of this social care policy that derailed us," he added.
But Labour's Tom Watson said Theresa May was "the one responsible for her own defeat".
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This morning a former aide to Theresa May lifted the lid on the "toxic" atmosphere inside No 10 - where her top advisers Nick and Fiona were "rude, abusive and childish".
Katie Perrior, who was Director of Communications at Downing Street under the PM until she called the election, reaveled the extent of the dysfunctional team behind Mrs May - as Tories warn she must sack them or face a leadership challenge.
She told Radio 4's Today programme: "Actually she needed to broaden her circle of advisers, she needed to have a few grey hairs in there who have been around the block a bit, who could say don’t do that, don’t make enemies when you don’t need to."
And she told of how the PM failed to overrule her advisers - even when they were spouting ridiculous ideas.
Nick Timothy's full blog on why he resigned
Yesterday, I resigned as the Prime Minister’s adviser.
Clearly, the general election result was a huge disappointment. What lay behind the result will no doubt be the subject of detailed analysis for many months. My immediate reaction, however, is this. The Conservatives won more than 13.6 million votes, which is an historically high number, and more than Tony Blair won in all three of his election victories. The reason for the disappointing result was not the absence of support for Theresa May and the Conservatives but an unexpected surge in support for Labour.
One can speculate about the reasons for this, but the simple truth is that Britain is a divided country: many are tired of austerity, many remain frustrated or angry about Brexit, and many younger people feel they lack the opportunities enjoyed by their parents’ generation.
Ironically, the Prime Minister is the one political leader who understands this division, and who has been working to address it since she became Prime Minister last July. The Conservative election campaign, however, failed to get this and Theresa’s positive plan for the future across. It also failed to notice the surge in Labour support, because modern campaigning techniques require ever-narrower targeting of specific voters, and we were not talking to the people who decided to vote for Labour.
I take responsibility for my part in this election campaign, which was the oversight of our policy programme. In particular, I regret the decision not to include in the manifesto a ceiling as well as a floor in our proposal to help meet the increasing cost of social care. But I would like to make clear that the bizarre media reports about my own role in the policy’s inclusion are wrong: it had been the subject of many months of work within Whitehall, and it was not my personal pet project. I chose not to rebut these reports as they were published, as to have done so would have been a distraction for the campaign. But I take responsibility for the content of the whole manifesto, which I continue to believe is an honest and strong programme for government.
Turning to the future, nothing matters more than the good government of the country. The Brexit negotiations are due to begin, and if the United Kingdom is to get the right deal, there is no time to waste. I hope the Conservative Party in Parliament gets behind the Prime Minister, and allows her the political space to negotiate that deal.
In the meantime, I want to place on record my sorrow for the Conservative Members of Parliament who lost their seats, several of whom are close friends. I want to reaffirm my ongoing support for the Conservative Party and its principles. And I want to encourage all Conservatives to come through this difficult period, unite behind the Prime Minister, and focus on the need to heal the divisions in our country.
She also said that Mr Timothy "used to love reminding people what a hierachy was and how it worked" - the pair have worked together for years.
she said: "The chiefs of staff were great street fighters but poor political leaders.
"Great leaders lead by bringing people with them, not alienating them before having even digested breakfast.
"What I could never work out was whether Mrs May condoned their behaviour and turned a blind eye or didn’t understand how destructive they both were. For all the love of a hierarchy, the chiefs treated Cabinet members exactly the same — rude, abusive, childish behaviour."
Who are Nick Timothy and Fiona Hill?
Nick Timothy: BORN in Birmingham, the steelworker’s son, 37, first worked for Theresa May as a Home Office special adviser.
Nick was appointed her joint chief of staff last July.
He is said to have had a key role in the Tory manifesto and was blamed for the catastrophic “dementia tax”.
He lists his hobbies as Aston Villa and Graham Greene.
Fiona Hill: SHARP-tongued Fiona Hill switched to politics from journalism, having worked for The Scotsman and Sky News.
The divorcée, 44, from Greenock, Renfrewshire, was a fierce May loyalist when a Home Office special adviser.
Sidelined after a spat with Michael Gove in 2014, she returned in July as Mrs May’s communications chief.