Boris Johnson hustings: Flustered would-be PM laughs off Tory takedown threat after dodging questions on police incident
Follow how the day unfolded
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Your support makes all the difference.Tory leadership frontrunner Boris Johnson repeatedly refused to answer questions about police being called to his flat as he took part in the first run-off hustings to become the next prime minister.
Police officers were alerted early on Friday to an incident at the home Mr Johnson shares with partner Carrie Symonds, after neighbours said there had been a loud altercation involving screaming, shouting and banging.
Pressed on the incident as he faced an audience of Tory members in Birmingham, Mr Johnson said: “I don’t think they want to hear about that kind of thing.”
When asked by hustings moderator Iain Dale whether a person’s private life has any bearing on someone’s ability to discharge the office of prime minister, the crowd booed and Mr Johnson said: “Don’t boo the great man.”
Mr Johnson added: “I’ve tried to give my answer pretty exhaustively.
“I think what people want to know is whether I have the determination and the courage to deliver on the commitments that I’m making, and it will need a lot of grit right now.
“People are entitled to ask about me and my determination, my character and what I want to do for the country.”
Mr Johnson was taking part in the leadership event with foreign secretary Jeremy Hunt as the two men battle to win the support of 160,000 Tory party members who will choose the next prime minister.
Mr Hunt warned “catastrophe awaits” if the wrong person if sent to Brussels to negotiate Brexit. He said: “If we send the wrong person there’s going to be no negotiation, no trust, no deal, and if Parliament stops that, maybe no Brexit.
“Send the right person and there’s a deal to be done. Send that right person and we can do what we all need to do, which is come back with something positive for our country. And that’s what I want to do.”
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Johnson: “I think any form of discrimination or prejudge is ugly and intolerable and we must stamp it out.”
Johnson is asked about spreading prosperity to all communities. He talks about the London Living Wage and says George Osborne stole his policy. “Higher pay not higher taxes – that should be out approach.”
Johnson gets a laugh by referring to the dispute between Sadiq Khan and Donald Trump while talking about the need to deliver HS2 and more infrastructure for housing in greater London. “What is happening with this guy Sadiq Khan? I mean, I don’t want to sound like the president of the United States…”
Johnson is asked about being a potentially divisive leader. “The only way to unite our party and indeed our country is to uphold the mandate and get Brexit done.”
“Now is the time – get it done. Get it done in a way that is sensible.”
Johnson asks the host Iain Dale “How long have we got left?”
Dale replied: “Are you bored?”
Johnson: “No, I just wanted to know how long.”
Johnson was a bit flustered when asked about whether Tory MPs could unite with the opposition to bring him down through a vote in confidence in Parliament.
He calls the potential Tory rebels “sensible, sober, mature, good people … I think they can see politics have changed. Unless we swallow our pride and come together we’re going to have a terminal problem in our party.”
Johnson then quotes Dr Samuel Johnson, acknowledging he has probably misquoted the writer, by saying: “Nothing concentrates the mind so powerfully as the knowledge that he is going to be hung in a fortnight.”
That’s it from the frontrunner. We’re now treated to a campaign video from Jeremy Hunt, which is playing on his record as health secretary. “He comes across as a nice person – and he is!” says one fan.
Hunt gets a big cheer before he begins speaking to the crowd. He says he had taken on board a few suggestions for his campaign slogan: “Take a punt on Hunt … Jezza’s the bezza … Hunty McHuntface”.
“Be very careful how you say those,” he jokes.
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