BORIS Johnson’s top adviser joked that cartoons in kids TV series PJ Masks could do a better job than the entire Cabinet.
Dominic Cummings openly mocked the PMs top team ahead of thursday’s long-awaited reshuffle, which is likely to see a number of ministers sacked.
The maverick aide had wanted a wider shake-up of top jobs and Whitehall departments but the PM is understood to have watered down his plans.
Asked for his views about tomorrows reshuffle outside his house , Mr Cummings bizarrely quoted the catchphrase of the childrens TV programme PJ Masks, saying: ”The night time is the right time to fight crime, adding: I cant think of a rhyme.
And then in a pointed remark about the current crop of ministers, he said: “PJ Masks will do a greater job than all of them put together.”
In PJ Masks, six-year-old characters Amaya, Connor and Greg become superheroes Owlette, Catboy and Gekko. They fight villains including Night Ninja and Luna Girl.
Attempting to explain the bizarre exchange, a government source said: “Dom is a parent and when watching children’s TV these things get on your mind.
“But I expect that he was having a joke at the reporters expense. I suspect he had been watching PJ Masks just before leaving the house.”
Downing Street confirmed that a reshuffle will be carried out on Thursday ahead of a meeting of the new-look Cabinet on Friday.
Senior ministers including Chancellor Sajid Javid, Home Secretary Priti Patel and Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab are expected to remain in place, while Downing Street has confirmed that Grant Shapps will stay on as Transport Secretary.
Mr Javid is expected to be safe at the Treasury despite his reported feud with Mr Cummings, but Defence Secretary Ben Wallace’s fate looks less certain.
The PM is widely expected to cut a number of women ministers from the eight in his 31-strong Cabinet, jeopardising the already poor gender balance.
