But Thatcher seeking economic advice from an economist, Tory backbenchers finding Hilton a ridiculous figure and SPADs regularly getting fired by their seniors

But Thatcher seeking economic advice from an economist, Tory backbenchers finding Hilton a ridiculous figure and SPADs regularly getting fired by their seniors are not remotely similar to Cummings taking personal responsibility for firing the Chancellor's employees and holding press conferences to tell the public they're wrong to be upset at him for breaking lockdown. If my argument was that PMs never listened to their advisers before you might have a counter example; but my point is that advisers whose behaviour in their personal life has a direct measurable impact on polling support for the government don't, in normal circumstances, keep their jobs, never mind do public briefings in the Rose Garden. I'm not sure why my original assertion that Cummings was an apparent 'rationalist' with quite a lot of influence has prompted quite such an impassioned defence of his actions, but my last post asked for an example of a PM going to comparable extremes to retain an adviser whose personal life is at the centre of negative media attention and you responded by pointing out PMs fire advisers quite a lot... Suffice to say you are also perhaps in a minority of one in believing that Clement VII had no influence on the Middle Ages. Especially when the point of reference the Church's influence is being compared with is a collection of moderately popular blogs and think tanks.