Dominic Cummings makes bizarre ‘PJ Masks’ remark after being asked if he is losing influence with Boris Johnson

‘The night time is the right time to fight crime,’ Mr Cummings says when doorstepped by reporter outside home

Dominic Cummings has sidestepped questions over his influence, HS2 and an imminent cabinet reshuffle by launching into a bizarre recital of lines from the cartoon superheroes PJ Masks.

Doorstepped by a BBC reporter outside his north London home, Boris Johnson’s most senior adviser also suggested the children’s superheroes would do a “greater job” than all of the cabinet put together.

Questioned whether the high-speed rail project was to be given the go-ahead later today, he said: “The night time is the right time to fight crime. I can’t think of a rhyme.”

Pressed on whether he had lost his influence over HS2 – amid reports he had urged for the project to be scrapped – he added: “I think we need PJ masks on the job. PJ Masks. They’re your guys.”

Mr Cummings has previously dismissed HS2 as a “disaster zone”, but Mr Johnson is expected to give the multi-billion pound high-speed project the green light after a meeting of the cabinet on Tuesday.

It has been reported that Mr Johnson will give the green light for Phase 1 between London and Birmingham, but will say more analysis is needed on the cost of the route extending further north to Manchester and Leeds.

And in an attempt to placate Tory MPs opposed to the scheme – due to concerns about the spiralling cost of HS2 – the PM will also tell the Commons his government will inject £5bn over the course of this parliament into bus services in England.

When quizzed on the cabinet reshuffle – expected later this week – Mr Cummings also appeared to provide his low opinion of the prime minister’s top team, telling the BBC reporter: “PJ Masks will do a greater job than all of them put together.”

Asked whether Boris Johnson thought that PJ Masks would do a better job than the cabinet, the prime minister’s official spokesperson later added: “I’m not familiar with their work."