UK: Boris Johnson slammed over sexual liaisons, latest Brexit jibe
Britain's former Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson yesterday came under fire from different sides of his Conservative Party in the wake of a controversial dossier on his personal life and his attack on British PM Theresa May by comparing her Brexit plans with a "suicide vest". The document, leaked to 'The Sunday Times', contains allegations about Johnson's sexual liaisons and damning assessments of his character.
Johnson and his wife recently made announcement of their divorce
The 4,000-word dossier emerged as Johnson and his wife Marina Wheeler announced earlier this week that they were to divorce and was allegedly prepared during the Conservative Party leadership election in 2016 but shelved as Johnson withdrew from the race to make way for May.
Senior Conservative Party member says document leaked by May's aide
The dossier accuses Johnson of lying about his affair with socialite Petronella Wyatt, who had to abort his child, and claims he had an affair with journalist Anna Fazackerley on one occasion visiting both her and Petronella Wyatt on the same night. A senior Conservative Party member said, "This was put together by May's team to smear Boris. It's their 'war book' on him."
Conservative Party denies circulating document
The Tories were rocked by revelations that May's aides drew up a dossier in an apparent effort to prevent him from becoming Prime Minister. Downing Street and Conservative Campaign Headquarters (CCHQ) categorically denied circulating the document or ordering any updating of the dossier. "It is genuinely offensive untrue that we have done anything to update this document," a senior aide to May said.
Johnson called May's Brexit strategy a 'suicide vest'
The latest controversy, which comes days before the Conservative Party conference where May is expected to go head to head with Johnson, came as Boris claimed that May's Brexit strategy had strapped a "suicide vest" around the UK Constitution and handed the detonator to Brussels.
UK Home Secretary condemns Johnson's remark on May's Brexit strategy
Johnson made the remark on May's Brexit strategy in a newspaper column. "I think there are much better ways to articulate your differences," UK Home Secretary, Sajid Javid, said in reference to the remark. "It's a reminder for all of us in public policy, whichever party we represent, to use measured language because I think that's what the public wants to see," he said.
Johnson had quit as Foreign Secretary in July
Johnson, who quit as foreign secretary in July in protest at May's Chequers proposals for Britain's future relationship with the European Union (EU), was also rebuked by housing minister James Brokenshire for his latest attack. "I think he's wrong on this. I think that we just need to be very focused on actually moving forward with the Chequers plan," Brokenshire said.
Here are some comments by other politicians over Johnson's remark
Other senior Tories were more vocal, with Alan Duncan, a junior Foreign Office Minister, tweeting, "For Boris to say that the PM's view is like that of a suicide bomber is too much. This marks one of the most disgusting moments in modern British politics." Another Foreign Office Minister Alistair Burt said that the analogy was outrageous, inappropriate, and hurtful.
