Election result: Boris Johnson won because Remainers 'f***** it up, Dominic Cummings says

Top aide criticises ‘educated Remainer campaigner types’ for failing to read the mood

Boris Johnson’s top adviser has said the Conservatives won a decisive election victory as opponents of Brexit “f***** it up” by failing to read the mood of the country.

Dominic Cummings, who was one of the driving forces in the Vote Leave campaign, delivered a typically blunt criticism of “educated Remainer campaigner types”, who he said had doubled down on their views rather than learning from the results of the referendum.

Regarded in Westminster as a divisive figure, Mr Cummings has played a key role in Mr Johnson’s premiership, including the controversial decision to prorogue parliament in September.

At a Conservative victory event on Friday, the senior aide insisted he did not take credit for the party’s landslide win, which saw the Tories scoop up traditional Labour seats across the north and the midlands.

Mr Cummings said: “After the shock of the referendum, MPs and journalists should have taken a deep breath and had a lot of self-reflection of why they misunderstood what was going on in the country, but instead a lot of people just doubled down on their own ideas and f***** it up even more.

“That’s why something like this happens against expectations.

“All these better than average educated Remainer campaigner types who have waved around for eight weeks, for the last four months and didn’t understand what was going on and didn’t understand they were driving everyone mad.

Mr Cummings added: “Hopefully now they’ll learn because it’s not good for the country, the whole dynamic, to carry on.

“MPs need to reflect, the media needs to reflect, and they need to realise that the conversations they have in London are a million miles away from reality.”

His comments came as the prime minister declared “We pulled it off”, in a victory speech to Tory activists, with a backdrop bearing the slogan. “The People’s Government”.

Mr Johnson pledged to earn the trust of Labour voters who “lent him” their vote to deliver a 78-strong Tory majority.

“You may only have lent us your vote, you may not see yourself as a natural Tory,” he said.

“And as I think I said 11 years ago to the people of London when I was elected in what was thought of as a Labour city, your hand may have quivered over the ballot paper before you put your cross in the Conservative box.

“And you may think you will return to Labour next time around. And if that is the case, I am humbled that you have put your trust in me, that you have put your trust in us, and I and we will never take your support for granted.”

The Tory victory prompted calls for Jeremy Corbyn to step down, with the Labour leader announcing that he will not take Labour into another election.

Liberal Democrat leader Jo Swinson quit as party leader after losing her seat to the SNP, leaving Sir Ed Davey and Baroness Sal Brinton to become joint acting leaders ahead of a contest next year.

But Mr Johnson faces challenges from the emboldened SNP and the nationalist parties in Northern Ireland who swelled their numbers at the polls.