The Head of No 10’s policy unit has quit following Boris Johnson’s failure to apologise for linking Sir Keir Starmer to the failure to prosecute Jimmy Savile.

On Monday Johnson accused the Labour leader of spending more “time prosecuting journalists and failing to prosecute Jimmy Savile”. 

Sir Keir served as the director of public prosecutions for the Crown Prosecution Service from 2008 to 2013.

He did not lead the investigation into the notorious sex offender and erstwhile TV presenter, nor decide not to charge him. He later ordered an inquiry into claims police mishandled evidence.

The departure of Munira Mirza, a cowriter of the 2019 manifesto, was confirmed by the Spectator magazine today. 

An extract of her resignation letter published by the magazine read: “I believe it was wrong for you to imply this week that Keir Starmer was personally responsible for allowing Jimmy Savile to escape justice.

“There was no fair or reasonable basis for that assertion. This was not the usual cut and thrust of politics; it was an inappropriate and partisan reference to a horrendous case of child sex abuse.

“You tried to clarify your position today but, despite my urging, you did not apologise for the misleading impression you gave,” she went on.

Johnson told reporters earlier this afternoon during an outing in Blackpool: “I’m talking not about the leader of the opposition’s personal record when he was when he was DPP. I totally understand that he had nothing to do personally with those decisions,” following days of complaints from backbench MPs regarding Monday’s remarks.