BORIS’S BREXIT ‘SPITE’
Johnson let slip to ex-Labour Minister that he simply ‘couldn’t bear’ to be on same side as his bitter rival
FRESH evidence that Boris Johnson backed Brexit because of his bitter rivalry with David Cameron emerged last night.
Days before his decision to support quitting the EU in the referendum, Mr Johnson said he ‘could not bear’ the idea of being on the same side as Tory rival Mr Cameron, who led the Remain campaign, The Mail on Sunday has learned.
The extraordinary disclosure came as Mr Johnson was accused of wrecking Theresa May’s hopes of achieving unity at last week’s party conference by challenging her stance on Brexit.
It is the strongest indication yet that Mr Johnson’s shock decision to back Brexit appears to have been strongly influenced by his view of fellow ex-Etonian Mr Cameron.
His ‘I can’t bear to back Cameron on the EU’ comment was made in mid- February last year – four months before the referendum – at a meeting with Labour’s Lord Adonis in Johnson’s final days as London Mayor.
After discussing London’s Crossrail project, sources say former Labour Transport Minister Adonis asked Mr Johnson whether he planned to back Brexit.
When Mr Johnson asked the peer’s view, Lord Adonis is said to have replied: ‘Obviously the right thing to do is to lead in Europe.
‘ The biggest British failure in Europe has been our failure to show leadership since Margaret Thatcher. You are obviously the right person to do that.’
Johnson reportedly answered: ‘Yes, but I’m not sure I can bear the thought of backing Cameron.’
Adonis, who at the time was an official adviser to the Cameron Government on infrastructure, is understood to have told him: ‘I should have thought there might be a higher purpose at stake.’
Days later, Johnson announced he would lead the Brexit campaign. The move came after Mr Cameron had repeatedly pleaded with him to support him in the referendum. Mr Johnson said he had decided to support Brexit after ‘a huge amount of heartache because the last thing I wanted to do was to go against David Cameron’.
However, this is in stark contrast to his comment to Lord Adonis. Twenty-four hours after Mr Johnson backed Brexit, a furious Mr Cameron took a swipe at ambitious Johnson in the Commons, saying as Prime Minister he had ‘no other agenda’ other than making the right decision for Britain.
Mr Johnson yesterday tried to prove his loyalty to Mrs May by releasing a WhatsApp message he sent to Tory MPs, in which he wrote: ‘We have just had an election and people are fed up with all this malarkey. Ordinary punters I have spoken to thought her speech was good and anyone can have a cold.
‘Circle the wagons turn the fire
‘I cannot bear the thought of backing him’
on Corbyn and talk about nothingthis except our great policies and what we can do for the country.’ NeitherN i th M Mr JohnsonJh nor LordL d Adonis was available for comment last night.