Boris’ Brain is missing: Why Munira Mirza’s departure is a fatal blow to Johnson

In the heart of the 2016 referendum, while I was running the UK’s creative industries body, we held a debate on you know what. Even by the standards of the liberal-luvvie artistic fraternity, I had been surprised that 96% of members had voted to remain in the EU.

Still, we had to do the decent thing and debate the issues. Into the lion’s den at the British Library chamber came three speakers for the Leave side. One was entrepreneur Luke Johnson who was openly mocked for his apology of an argument. Another was a Tory lady from the Lords, whose name and utterances I have forgotten. The third was Munira Mirza.

The woman dubbed Boris Johnson’s Brain more than held her own. She made some predictions that, to put it mildly, have not come to fruition, such as Britain becoming a more tolerant place where Sudanese and Somalis would have equal rights with French and Germans at the immigration gate. From her time at City Hall as deputy mayor in charge of arts and culture (and more), she and I had a prickly relationship. But I have to hand it her – she takes it and, boy, can she stick it.

Which is why her resignation from the Downing Street sinking ship is so significant. Mirza is one of only a tiny number of people around Johnson who actually believes in anything (apart from partying). Her ideological trajectory, from far left to libertarian right, may be quixotic, but she knows how to think and, as head of the policy unit, she at least tried (albeit with little success) to translate some of Johnson’s clownish musings into something practical.

She shares with Dominic Cummings a faith in disruption. Hence Brexit, hence taking on any shibboleth, such as so-called ‘woke’, as represented in what used to be called mainstream politics. Her supporters have praised her departure as principled; her detractors see it as Titanic-style jumping, while hoping that others will join her. (Within minutes Number 10’s Director of Communications, Jack Doyle, had also gone, but that was more likely in light of his role, and that of the many others around him, in partygate). It is probably a mix of both.

Mirza has a safe perch running cultural initiatives at King’s College, London, which she had joined in November 2018 – only to answer the call from a victorious Johnson months later. Or will she resurface in the heart of politics with whoever takes over, as and when the day of reckoning comes? Public life has not heard the last of her yet.