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

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”.

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.

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.”