Theresa May’s top two advisers have quit in the wake of the election result which saw the Conservatives lose their majority.
Nick Timothy, who was co-chief of staff to the Prime Minister and the author of the party’s manifesto, stepped down on Friday.
Both he and fellow co-chief of staff Fiona Hill – who has also resigned – have been roundly criticised in the wake of the vote, which saw the party slump to 318 seats having held a majority.
The PM has sought to shore up her position in Number 10 by sending her Chief Whip to lead talks with the Democratic Unionist Party.
On Saturday Mr Timothy confirmed he had quit, describing the election results as a “huge disappointment”.
The Prime Minister has made clear she wants support from her “friends and allies” in Northern Ireland’s DUP to secure her minority administration ahead of the Queen’s Speech on June 19 and has sent Gavin Williamson to Belfast to lead the talks.
Writing on the Conservative Home website, he said: “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.”
He said he took responsibility “for the content of the whole manifesto” as he called for the party to unite behind Mrs May.
He wrote: “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.”
Meanwhile, as Mrs May sought to win backing for her Government, a Downing Street spokesman said: “The Chief Whip is in Belfast holding talks with the DUP on how best they can provide support to the Government. We will not be providing a running commentary.”
