Think tank says country might face Brexit 'in name only' following Cummings' departure from Number 10

The head of a Brexiteer think tank says a Vote Leave mastermind leaving Downing Street "makes post-Brexit Britain more likely to be very similar to a Britain inside the EU, and possibly worse".

Ben Harris-Quinney, chairman of the Bow Group, said that without Boris Johnson's senior adviser Dominic Cummings the government will see more "adherence to liberal metropolitan values" which will mean Brexit "in name only".

He told the Express:  "Dominic Cummings was the intellectual force behind this government and its agenda to get Brexit done, but also to reform British politics to put Westminster back in touch with the public.

"For the past decade many conservatives have been concerned that the Conservative Party not only no longer stands for conservatism, but stands against it."

He continued:  "Dom Cummings' presence at the centre of the government's policy programme gave Brexiteers confidence that Brexit would take place in a meaningful way."

Instead, he warned that the loss "makes post-Brexit Britain more likely to be very similar to a Britain inside the EU, and possibly worse".

And he blamed Johnson's partner for forcing Cummings out, branding her "unelected and unaccountable".

"People voted for Brexit because they wanted to see immigration fall radically, they wanted more control over their lives and less adherence to liberal metropolitan values."

"A government with Carrie Symonds at the helm represents the opposite of this, and will see support from conservatives and Brexiteers plummet."

An earlier version of this article carried a headline which indicated the Bow Group now believed Britain might be worse off after Brexit following Cumming's departure from Number 10. However, the Bow Group has asked us to point out that it didn't make that claim. We're happy to clarify the position and are sorry for the error.