Nick Timothy accused the former Education Secretary of refusing to support Theresa May’s domestic agenda and potentially jeopardising the chance of the Conservative Party keeping Jeremy Corbyn out of Downing Street.

Mrs May had hoped to woo younger voters by cutting university tuition fees after it emerged that 63 per cent of 18 to 29-year-olds voted for Labour in the 2017 General Election.

However, Mr Timothy said Ms Greening had refused to back the proposals and the new Education Secretary, Damian Hinds, would leave the Tories more likely to be able to improve their electoral chances.

He said: “Greening blocked proposals to reduce tuition fees and refused to hold a proper review of tertiary education.

“Hinds must be brave enough to do that, to ensure universities are better, fees are lower, and young people get the technical or academic education that suits them.”

Speaking at the Conservative Party conference last autumn Mrs May set out her vision to cut tuition fees and also consider cutting the interest on student loan repayment.

However, the plans were quickly shelved afterward following Ms Greening’s refusal to give their support to the plans.

Mr Timothy, writing in his column for the Telegraph newspaper, added: “Greening was unpopular with officials, she frustrated reformers, and she exasperated the Prime Minister.

“Charged with making Britain “the world’s great meritocracy”, she put the brakes on policies that work, like free schools, and devised bureaucratic initiatives of little value.

“She made Nicky Morgan, a managerial education secretary, resemble Michael Gove, education’s great radical.”

Mr Timothy resigned from his position at Number 10 following the Conservative’s disastrous General Election result, with him and fellow aide Fiona Hill blamed for the party’s performance.

However, despite having officially left Government more than six months ago, the former special adviser has been accused of being responsible for re-arranging the Cabinet earlier this week.

The claim has been refuted by the Tory.

He said: “This week, ‘allies’ of Justine Greening claimed I orchestrated her sacking as education secretary.

“This is obviously completely untrue, and I played no part whatsoever in the reshuffle.

“I do, however, agree with Theresa May’s decision: Greening’s replacement by Damian Hinds was the bright point in an otherwise limited set of changes.”

There were few changes to the Cabinet line-up following the reshuffle after the Prime Minister kept the majority of ministers in their positions.

David Davis, Boris Johnson, Phillip Hammond and Amber Rudd all retained their jobs, as did Jeremy Hunt and Greg Clark after the pair refused to move Department.

Ms Greening was offered the job of Secretary of State for Work and Pensions but quit the Government on Monday in protest at losing her Education brief.