Dominic Cummings pictured arriving home with champagne after leaving No10 ‘for last time’

Dominic Cummings appeared to be in a celebratory mood as he was snapped arriving home with bottles of wine and champagne after leaving Downing Street on Friday night.

Boris Johnson’s now-former top aide was reportedly told to leave No10 and “never return” by the prime minister after losing a power struggle.

Images of Mr Cummings walking out of No10 with a box of belongings cemented his departure. Mr Johnson reportedly accused the controversial aide and his close ally Lee Cain of being behind recent negative briefings.

Later on Friday evening, Mr Cummings was photographed returning to his home in north London carrying a plastic bag containing several bottles of wine and champagne.

According the The Telegraph, Mr Cummings complained to allies that the prime minister was “indecisive”, adding that he and Lee Cain were forced to rely on Cabinet Minister Michael Gove to make decisions.

Mr Cain resigned as director of communications earlier in the week, a move that sent shockwaves throughout No10 and triggered extraordinary disorder in recent days.

A source from Downing Street told The Times ties between Mr Johnson and his once-top adviser had been strained ever since Mr Cummings broke coronavirus rules to drive to Barnard Castle during lockdown.

Opponents of Mr Cummings, both from within the Conservative Party and outside of it, welcomed his departure.

Among them was Bernard Jenkin, who chair the Commons Liaison Committee, and Theresa Villiers, the former environment secretary.

Mr Jenkin said the aide’s departure was an opportunity to “reset how the government operates and to emphasise some values about what we want to project as a Conservative Party in government”,

Ms Villiers condemned Mr Cumming’s “dismissive attitude” to ministers and MPs, saying: “This is an opportunity to move on from that and to have a more collaborative approach.”