Tony Blair would have “obviously” done a much better job of leading the UK through the Covid pandemic than Boris Johnson, the prime minister’s former top adviser Dominic Cummings has said.

       The comment came as Mr Cummings delivered a scathing assessment of Mr Johnson’s ability and character in the latest of his Substack blogposts.

       Mr Cummings said it had been clear to him for some time that Johnson was “unfit to be PM” as he was a habitual liar with little interest in achieving anything in power and little understanding of government and was “totally untrusted by anybody in No 10”.

       He said Mr Johnson was known in Downing Street as the “trolley” because of his tendency to veer around uncontrollably.

       Answering questions from blog readers, Mr Cummings was asked whether former Labour PM Blair would have done a better job of leading the UK through the Covid pandemic.

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       He replied: “Obviously he’d have done a much better job - he would at least read papers, chair meetings, understand how goverment machine works, not trolley around all day.

       “And my impression is since losing on Brexit he’s jumped ahead of almost all MPs in understanding that science and technology must be the future orientation for UK.”

       Mr Cummings said Mr Johnson was “absolutely” wrong to lift almost all Covid restrictions on 19 July as he plans.

       Asked whether this was a good decision, the former Downing Street adviser replied: “Obviously not, and No10 has been told by scientific advisers not to do what they’re doing.”