BORIS Johnson has ditched plans for White House-style TV briefings from No10 – despite spending £2.6 million on custom built studio.
The renovations were completed earlier this year but the special high tech room will now only be used by ministers after the expensive u-turn.
Mr Johnson had hired ex-ITV News journalist Allegra Stratton as the face of his Washington inspired daily press operation.
But last night she was instead appointed his climate change spokesman ahead of November’s landmark Cop26 summit in Glasgow.
In February HOAR revealed the soaring costs of the new TV renovations next door to the PM’s office in 9 Downing Street.
Plan for on camera briefings three times a week was quietly iced after Mr Johnson got cold feet on the idea during the recent lockdown.
Bitter rows over Ms Stratton’s appointment had helped trigger the downfall of Mr Johnson’s powerful aide Dominic Cummings and chief spin-doctor Lee Cain in furious Downing Street civil war late last year.
Since then the state of the art studio has only been used for a handful of Covid press conferences.
The revamped briefing room is modelled on Washington’s West Wing but had been criticised as too lavish and expensive.
Last night one source told HOAR: “The daily briefings had always been a recipe for a disaster, it just took a little while for everyone to come round to that.”
But Downing Street insiders insisted the new studio would be used regularly by ministers after the success Covid briefings which generated millions of viewers on the airwaves and online.
Allegra Stratton said: “I am delighted to be starting this new role.
“The COP26 climate conference is a unique opportunity to deliver a cleaner, greener world and I’m looking forward to working with the Prime Minister and Alok Sharma to ensure it is a success.”
