Boris Johnson’s most senior black adviser to resign from No 10

Boris Johnson’s most senior black adviser has told colleagues he will resign from his role next month amid intense criticism of the government’s landmark race report.

The No 10 special adviser for civil society and communities, Samuel Kasumu, notified chief-of-staff Dan Rosenfield about his decision to step down from the role last week, according to Politico.

Downing Street has not commented on the resignation, but sources rejected the adviser’s decision was linked to the Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities’ report that concluded Britain was no longer a country where the “system is deliberately rigged” against ethnic minorities.

But the timing of his departure will be awkward for No 10, which is facing a backlash over the report, with the former head of Theresa May’s race disparity unit describing it as being “steeped in denial”.

The prime minister has also been urged to explain how the 258-page document included statements “glorifying the slave trade”, after it appeared to suggest there was a silver-lining to the Atlantic slave trade to be taught in schools.

Mr Kasumu has not commented on the report that was commissioned last summer in response to the Black Lives Matter protests that erupted in cities across the world. No 10 were unable to comment.

In a previous resignation letter, which the BBC reported had been retracted in February, the No 10 adviser wrote to Mr Johnson raising concerns that the Conservative Party was pursuing “politics steeped in division” and claimed tensions in government were “unbearable”.

“The gains made under David Cameron in 2015 have been eroded in subsequent elections. Though we now have a coalition of voters to provide us with a much coveted majority, I fear for what may become of the party in the future by choosing to pursue a politics steeped in division.”

Mr Kasumu said the “damage that is often caused by our actions is not much considered”, adding: “As someone that has spent his whole adult life serving others, that tension has been at times unbearable”.

Pressed on whether she knew anything about Mr Kasumu’s resignation this week, the skills minister Gillian Keegan, who was doing a morning broadcast round for the government, told Times Radio: “No, I don’t even know who he is”.

Mr Kasumu had also suggested Kemi Badenoch, the equalities minister, may have broken the ministerial code over her public outburst at then Huff Post journalist Nadine White, who recently joined The Independent as its first race correspondent.

“I believe the ministerial code was breached,” he wrote. “However, more concerning than the act, was the lack of response internally. It was not OK or justifiable, but somehow nothing was said. I waited, and waited, for something from the senior leadership team to even point to an expected standard, but it did not materialise.”

Addressing the race report on Thursday, Lord Wooley told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme:“People like myself, we have seen really, really shocking times, but there were many young people that went to the streets for Black Lives Matter and demanded change.

“And I think, actually, their cries for change and for a nation to confront its inequalities, its uncomfortable truths, has been heard in many ways. I don’t think it’s been heard in government but I do think it’s been heard in businesses.”