Boris Johnson’s attitude to women threatens to eclipse his first conference as Tory leader after he and his ministers were repeatedly forced to deny allegations he groped a female journalist.
The Prime Minister was yesterday dogged by questions about the allegations and his Cabinet appeared split on whether to believe him.
The row about Mr Johnson’s conduct has already overshadowed the first two days of his party’s conference in Manchester, just as ministers hoped to highlight a raft of pre-election policies.
It now threatens to dominate today and Mr Johnson’s closing speech tomorrow as well.
Former education secretary Justine Greening said it was “deeply concerning” a female journalist had accused Mr Johnson of gripping her inner thigh at a Spectator magazine lunch, and that it raised a critical question about his “character and integrity”.
Downing Street said the claim by Charlotte Edwardes was categorically untrue, prompting her to say she clearly had a better memory of the alleged incident in 1999.
However one of Mr Johnson’s former Spectator colleagues, Toby Young, gave credence to the claim.
He told a fringe event at the conference: “As far as I recall, back then at the Spectator, in those raucous days, people complained if Boris didn’t put his hand on their knee during lunch. “So times really have changed, as you say.”
Mr Johnson repeatedly tried to change the subject when asked about Ms Edwardes in a TV interview.
Asked if he had squeezed her thigh, he said: “No, and I think what the public want to hear is about what we are doing to level up and unite the country.”
Asked if she had invented it, he said: “I’m just saying what I’ve said. What the public want to hear is what we are doing for them and for the country.”
Asked if his private life was overshadowing conference, he said: “Not at all.” He then suggested the adverse coverage was part of a Remainer plot.
“I think I would make one general comment: I think there is a lot of people who basically want to stop us delivering Brexit on October 31. But I have to tell you we are not going to be deterred from that ambition. We are going to get on and do it, we are going to get us over the line. I think that that is the best thing for the country because it’s been going on a long time now, this row over Brexit.”
Spectator journalist Mary Wakefield, the wife of Mr Johnson’s chief adviser Dominic Cummings, denied she was groped by the PM.
She said: “Boris was a good boss and nothing like this ever happened to me. Nor has Charlotte, who I like and admire, ever discussed this incident with me.”
In November 2017, Sir Michael Fallon resigned as Tory defence secretary after it emerged he had made repeated unwanted advances to a female journalist 15 years previously.
In a sign of Cabinet doubts, Health Secretary Matt Hancock defended Ms Edwardes saying: “I know Charlotte well and I entirely trust what she has to say”.
Former home secretary Amber Rudd agreed. Chancellor Sajid Javid said he had “full faith” in the Prime Minister.
He told the BBC: “The Prime Minister has said that this is completely untrue. I have full faith in the Prime Minister, I don’t doubt what he has said for a second but I’m not going to get drawn into these allegations.
“I’ve talked to the Prime Minister about that and, first of all, he couldn’t be clearer, absolutely clear, that they are completely untrue and I totally trust him in that.”
Pressed if the party took the allegations seriously, he said: “One thing I have noticed in nine years I’ve been in Parliament, there are personal allegations all the time and each time I’ve heard about them, whoever they are about, I don’t get involved and don’t really comment on them because how would I know anything about these allegations?”
Asked if the PM had a ‘women problem’, he said: “No. Not at all. Not at all.”
He admitted he would “rather be talking about the infrastructure revolution” he had promised.
Mr Javid was also quizzed about matter on ITV’s Good Morning Britain.
He said: “I am not getting drawn into that. If you are asking me, separately, whether a man - whoever they are - should be touching a woman’s knee without her permission, of course not, I think everyone knows that, that is clear.
“But I’m not commenting on these personal allegations.”
Culture Secretary Nicky Morgan said: “The prime minister and Downing Street have made it very clear that there isn’t any truth in those allegations and I support the Prime Minister and believe him in that.”
Education Secretary Gavin Williamson said Mr Johnson’s denial had been “crystal clear”.
Asked about Ms Edwardes’s claim, he said: “The prime minister has made very clear his position and there is nothing more I can add to that. He has been absolutely crystal clear.”
It was also reported at the weekend that a US entrepreneur given public money by City Hall when Mr Johnson was Mayor of London told friends they had a sexual relationship.
The Prime Minister insisted he had acted with “full propriety” but had not declared an interest over his connection with Ms Arcuri, arguing there was no interest to declare.
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said Mr Johnson had “serious questions” to answer about the money trail.
“I hope and expect that he will co-operate fully with the police in those enquiries,” he said.
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