Rival in UK PM race calls on frontrunner Johnson to answer 'difficult questions'

[webfact]

Rival in UK PM race calls on frontrunner Johnson to answer 'difficult questions'

By Paul Sandle

 

Boris Johnson, a leadership candidate for Britain's Conservative Party, gestures during a hustings event in Birmingham, Britain, June 22, 2019. REUTERS/Hannah McKay

 

LONDON (Reuters) - The frontrunner to be Britain's next prime minister, Boris Johnson, came under renewed pressure on Sunday to explain the circumstances of a late-night row between him and girlfriend that led to the police being called to their home.

 

Polls conducted for the Mail on Sunday newspaper before and after Britain's front pages were dominated by the argument showed that Johnson's lead over rival Jeremy Hunt, the foreign minister, had evaporated amongst all voters and had narrowed among supporters of his ruling Conservative Party.

 

Johnson declined to answer questions about the incident at a hustings for party members on Saturday, saying to applause that the audience wanted instead to hear about his plans for Britain three years after the country voted to leave the European Union.

 

International Trade Secretary Liam Fox, who is backing Hunt, said the reports should not distract from the policy debate in the race to become the prime minister, which will be decided by 160,000 party members next month.

 

"I think it's always easier to just give an explanation," he told the BBC's Andrew Marr on Sunday.

 

"But the key thing then is how you get on to the issues; what we can't have is it being a distraction from explanations about wider polices and where we go to and when."

 

Hunt, who was campaigning in Scotland on Sunday, told Sky News that Johnson, a former foreign minister and former London mayor, "needs to show he's prepared to answer difficult questions".

 

"I think someone who wants to be prime minister should answer questions on everything," he said.

 

Hunt said he was not going to comment on Johnson's private life. "That's for others to make their judgments on," he said.

 

But he added that Johnson had to engage more in the leadership race, including taking part in more TV debates.

 

The clear favourite, Johnson had tried to stay out of the limelight during the campaign, and opponents have accused him of running from scrutiny to avoid the gaffes that have been a feature of his career so far.

 

Johnson, who has a leading Brexit campaigner in the 2016 referendum, on Saturday reiterated his desire to leave the European Union in October with or without a deal.

 

Hunt, who backed Remain in the referendum, said he would take the country out of the bloc without a deal on Oct. 31 if the EU had not showed it was willing to renegotiate the Brexit deal agreed with May that been rejected three times by parliament.

 

The EU has repeatedly said it will not renegotiate the withdrawal deal.

 

LOUD ALTERCATION

Polling for the Mail on Sunday showed Johnson was seen as the best prime minister by 36% of all voters on Thursday, while Jeremy Hunt was supported by 28%.

 

But Johnson had lost the lead on Saturday, with 32% supporting Hunt and 29% Johnson. Among Conservative voters, Johnson's lead fell from 55% to 45%, while Hunt's standing rose from 28% to 34%, the polls conducted by Survation showed.

 

Police were called to an address in south London where Johnson is living with girlfriend Carrie Symonds in the early hours of Friday after neighbours heard a loud altercation. Johnson, 55, is currently divorcing his second wife.

 

All occupants of the address were spoken to and were all safe and well, police said in a statement.

 

Supporters of Johnson have said the action of a neighbour in releasing a recording of the row to the Guardian newspaper was politically motivated.

 

Neighbour Tom Penn, 29, said in a statement he had called the police because he was "frightened and concerned for the welfare of those involved".

 

"Once clear that no one was harmed, I contacted the Guardian, as I felt it was of important public interest," he said. "I believe it is reasonable for someone who is likely to become our next prime minister to be held accountable for all of their words, actions and behaviours."

 

Penn said voted to remain the European Union three years ago, but that was the extent of his involvement in politics.

 

(Reporting by Paul Sandle; Editing by Keith Weir and Alison Williams)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2019-06-24

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[geoffbezoz]

I don't think he will bother to answer any questions about the row now. He knows it, the majority of the Tory membership knows it and most of the country, if not Europe knows it - he is a "has been" and now completely unelectable as a British Prime Minister.

 

If he had any dignity left, common sense or concern for the Tory party he would withdraw from the PM race immediately.  But guess he is so arrogant he possibly won't, rather he will continue to drag down the leadership race further down the gutter.

[GeorgeCross]

answer questions?

 

"now is not the time to break the habit of a lifetime.."

[Loiner]

The Tory MPs have had five rounds of voting. At the last round, out of 313 total MPs, Boris got 160 votes and Hunt got 77 votes, which is fairly consistent with the previous rounds. It now goes to the Tory membership of 160,000 votes. It's all internal party business and not MSM's, Remainers or Labour voters.

If there were any questions to be asked, they should have been asked over the last five rounds. The MPs must already know the answers, which is why they didn't return a majority for Hunt. 

[soalbundy]

3 hours ago, geoffbezoz said:

I don't think he will bother to answer any questions about the row now. He knows it, the majority of the Tory membership knows it and most of the country, if not Europe knows it - he is a "has been" and now completely unelectable as a British Prime Minister.

 

If he had any dignity left, common sense or concern for the Tory party he would withdraw from the PM race immediately.  But guess he is so arrogant he possibly won't, rather he will continue to drag down the leadership race further down the gutter.

His private life is just that, private, it has nothing to do with the public. He should ask the questioner about his or her latest argument with their spouse and what it was all about. I would prefer that he loses his bid to become PM but this should have nothing to do with his row with his partner.

[geoffbezoz]

8 minutes ago, soalbundy said:

His private life is just that, private, it has nothing to do with the public. He should ask the questioner about his or her latest argument with their spouse and what it was all about. I would prefer that he loses his bid to become PM but this should have nothing to do with his row with his partner.

Sorry you are completely wrong.  When in public life you are open to having all aspects of your life scrutinised.  You may not like it but that is life. An immoral person in their private lives is no doubt going to undertake their public lives with a similar level of morality.  I am not saying BJ is leading an immoral private life, but just using an example. If he disregards fixed notices for parking his vehicle in his private life what confidence does that give his party and the general public that he will not attempt to disregard the laws in his public life ? Sorry but poor old BJ was given enough rope and he has just hung himself. He is now a loser as far as the PMs job goes.

[Misty]

25 minutes ago, soalbundy said:

His private life is just that, private, it has nothing to do with the public. He should ask the questioner about his or her latest argument with their spouse and what it was all about. I would prefer that he loses his bid to become PM but this should have nothing to do with his row with his partner.

Tend to agree, and wish the difficult questions would have more to do with his relationship with Bannon, and the role of Bannon & Cambridge Analytica in Brexit referendum:  https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/new-evidence-emerges-of-steve-bannon-and-cambridge-analyticas-role-in-brexit

[Loiner]

Sorry you are completely wrong.  When in public life you are open to having all aspects of your life scrutinised.  You may not like it but that is life. An immoral person in their private lives is no doubt going to undertake their public lives with a similar level of morality.  I am not saying BJ is leading an immoral private life, but just using an example. If he disregards fixed notices for parking his vehicle in his private life what confidence does that give his party and the general public that he will not attempt to disregard the laws in his public life ? Sorry but poor old BJ was given enough rope and he has just hung himself. He is now a loser as far as the PMs job goes.

No, you are the one who has got it wrong. We have bloody vicar’s daughter as PM now. Moral up to her eyeballs, only admitting to one naughty escapade running through a crop field. She’s been completely useless as a Tory leader and PM. She has also cheated and deceived the nation for three years.
No more moralists for us.

[connda]

Going for the jugular!  Hope Hunt's skeletons are all locked about neatly in the closet.

[transam]

1 minute ago, Loiner said:

No, you are the one who has got it wrong. We have bloody vicar’s daughter as PM now. Moral up to her eyeballs, only admitting to one naughty escapade running through a crop field. She’s been completely useless as a Tory leader and PM. She has also cheated and deceived the nation for three years.
No more moralists for us.

Plus Gove taking dope....

[Guest Jerry787]

this fellow look same the future trumphish of UK.

how many disaster he will make before Britain will remove him from office ? 

[newatthis]

8 hours ago, webfact said:

 

Neighbour Tom Penn, 29, said in a statement he had called the police because he was "frightened and concerned for the welfare of those involved".

 

"Once clear that no one was harmed, I contacted the Guardian, as I felt it was of important public interest," he said. "I believe it is reasonable for someone who is likely to become our next prime minister to be held accountable for all of their words, actions and behaviours."

 

Penn said voted to remain the European Union three years ago, but that was the extent of his involvement in politics.

BS. Instead of minding your own business after it was all cleared up, you had to have your 15minutes of fame. You're just a nosey busybody and a gossip.

[SheungWan]

No, you are the one who has got it wrong. We have bloody vicar’s daughter as PM now. Moral up to her eyeballs, only admitting to one naughty escapade running through a crop field. She’s been completely useless as a Tory leader and PM. She has also cheated and deceived the nation for three years.
No more moralists for us.

Is it lack of education or plain stupidity that prevents some Hard Brexiteers from understanding the difference between moralism and lack of morals ?

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[SheungWan]

BS. Instead of minding your own business after it was all cleared up, you had to have your 15minutes of fame. You're just a nosey busybody and a gossip.

Its not very pleasant going for the cover-up but the party hack knows what he has to do. Clean up the scene.

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[ThaiBunny]

4 minutes ago, SheungWan said:

Clean up the scene.

Surely if you're truly a Tory you believe that that's what the servants are for

[SheungWan]

Going for the jugular!  Hope Hunt's skeletons are all locked about neatly in the closet.

So then, if it is found that Hunt abuses women, then they should be regarded as all-square in the leadership of the Tory Party stakes? Or maybe Hard Brexiteer grumpies think this is all normal? Who would ever have suggested that Hard Brexiteers are just a bunch of social throwbacks?

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[ThaiBunny]

My favourite recent statement about Hunt is that he's never met anyone he can't successfully underwhelm

[dunroaming]

I have stayed well away from this leadership campaign because I knew it would just be taking the bickering up to a new level with all the associated "he said" and "they said" or in Boris's case more of what "he didn't say".  In my view it is better to just wait and eventually there will be a new PM and then we will see what approach they take.

[JAG]

4 hours ago, connda said:

Going for the jugular!  Hope Hunt's skeletons are all locked about neatly in the closet.

Hunt is trying to set an agenda with the debate within the Tory membership.

 

Partly, I suspect, because few are really convinced as to where he actually stands on the one matter which actually counts in this contest: is he prepared, quite simply, to take the UK out of the EU? He wants to get away from that.

 

I'm not a Tory party member (I should imagine they would not have me!) but I simply do not trust Hunt on this one. 

[tebee]

1 minute ago, JAG said:

.....but I simply do not trust Hunt on this one. 

He's a Tory ! I would not trust any Tory ever....

[evadgib]

Hunt was skewered on GMB this morning:

 

[Chomper Higgot]

3 minutes ago, evadgib said:

Hunt has just been skewered on GMB for not explaining why he wants abortions limited to 12 weeks from the current 22. I haven't yet seen the interview but that's the feedback appearing online.

And so he should be.

[evadgib]

32 minutes ago, tebee said:

He's a Tory ! I would not trust any Tory ever....

Methinks they won't be around much longer ????

[chilli42]

I am not a U.K. citizen but the altercation would not bother me.  I don’t think having a stable relationship(s) is a job requirement.  What would bother me is that this guy does not have the stones to own up to and deal with something so as simple as this.  OK I know what you are thinking, virtually no politicians have backbone ... true enough. It’s just that they don’t make it so obvious that they spineless.  It’s not the 1950’s people today are less likely to judge based on family matters.  Whom ever the U.K. population elects as PM, dealing with Brexit and its aftermath is going to require a tough SOB.  Clearly, this guy fails to deliver on that job requirement.

[evadgib]

I expected this two horse race to be something of a snooze-a-thon. I wasn't expecting the sort of coverage that would rival a GE & I can't see how they (candidates/media) will be able to keep it up/maintain public interest until 22 July.

IMO the tories are a busted flush and I can't wait for Farage to finish the job.

[sammieuk1]

It was just last week that the only thing that could stop Boris was Boris at least he is a success at something ???????? 

[stephenterry]

18 minutes ago, evadgib said:

I expected this two horse race to be something of a snooze-a-thon. I wasn't expecting the sort of coverage that would rival a GE & I can't see how they (candidates/media) will be able to keep it up/maintain public interest until 22 July.

IMO the tories are a busted flush and I can't wait for Farage to finish the job.

I agree that the Tory party is a busted flush, but I can't see Farage supplanting either Labour or Lib Dems at a GE. If only Labour got rid of Corbyn, they'd walk in unopposed.

 

As for Johnson becoming PM, it's pitiful to watch the Tory party vote for a morally-defect candidate who is just not up to the gravitas position, IMO. As for a PM candidate to be forcing himself on his partner, it's obscene.

[geoffbezoz]

4 minutes ago, stephenterry said:

I agree that the Tory party is a busted flush, but I can't see Farage supplanting either Labour or Lib Dems at a GE. If only Labour got rid of Corbyn, they'd walk in unopposed.

 

As for Johnson becoming PM, it's pitiful to watch the Tory party vote for a morally-defect candidate who is just not up to the gravitas position, IMO. As for a PM candidate to be forcing himself on his partner, it's obscene.

Certainly is obscene but there appears to be other very serious skulduggery that should be investigated.  First the Met Police denied that they had attended, even though there were witnesses  almost as if someone had "leaned" on them from a high position to deny a visit ever took place.  Then after the revelation of a recording they had to do a u-turn and admit that they did attend the property.  More to that than meets the eye perhaps ?

[transam]

3 minutes ago, geoffbezoz said:

Certainly is obscene but there appears to be other very serious skulduggery that should be investigated.  First the Met Police denied that they had attended, even though there were witnesses  almost as if someone had "leaned" on them from a high position to deny a visit ever took place.  Then after the revelation of a recording they had to do a u-turn and admit that they did attend the property.  More to that than meets the eye perhaps ?

Are you now blaming Boris for the police actions....?

[stephenterry]

4 minutes ago, geoffbezoz said:

Certainly is obscene but there appears to be other very serious skulduggery that should be investigated.  First the Met Police denied that they had attended, even though there were witnesses  almost as if someone had "leaned" on them from a high position to deny a visit ever took place.  Then after the revelation of a recording they had to do a u-turn and admit that they did attend the property.  More to that than meets the eye perhaps ?

I'm sure you're correct. Corruption right through the Tory party.