Just chewing the fat – or plotting the putsch Boris?
BORIS Johnson has denied he was discussing whether to run for Conservative leader with Sir Michael Fallon, a key Cabinet ally of Theresa May, over a pint in a Kent pub.
Mr Johnson, the Foreign Secretary, was spotted having a drink with Sir Michael, the Defence Secretary, at the Bricklayers Arms in Chipstead, Kent on Saturday evening.
The meeting came as speculation swirled around the Prime Minister’s chances of continuing as Tory leader following her failure to win a majority at the general election, and criticism of her handling of the Grenfell Tower fire.
The pair chatted with locals in the bar just after 6pm before heading outside to the village green where they sat on a bench overlooking a lake, deep in conversation.
One onlooker said: “They had pints in hand and talked to locals at the bar. It was pretty jovial – they were discussing cricket in the pub.”
They reportedly then went outside at 6.30pm for about 45 minutes where they chatted after slinging their jackets over the back of a bench.
On their return, Mr Johnson and Sir Michael were challenged by drinkers about what they had discussed. They both insisted they were discussing the constituency. Chipstead is in Sir Michael’s Sevenoaks constituency, while Chevening, Mr Johnson’s official residence as Foreign Secretary, is five minutes’ drive away.
One friend of Mr Johnson insisted the pair had not discussed him running to be leader. He said: “It was nothing to do with leadership. Boris Johnson regularly sees Michael when he is staying at Chevening.”