Johnson hires staffers for political repairs

Attack on rival party’s leader adds to flak already facing British prime minister

LONDON — Boris Johnson has brought in new senior staffers as he tries to restore his flagging authority — including a communications chief who insisted the British prime minister is “not a total clown.”

The prime minister hired Guto Harri, an aide from his days as London mayor who has recently been critical of Johnson, to try to regain control of the government’s messaging after weeks of turmoil that have led some in the ruling Conservatives to call for his removal. He also appointed a senior Cabinet minister, Steve Barclay, as his new chief of staff.

But unease about Johnson’s leadership grew Monday when opposition Labor Party leader Keir Starmer was harassed outside Parliament by anti-lockdown protesters who accused him of protecting pedophiles when he was a prosecutor — echoing a slur made by Johnson last week.

Visiting a hospital cancer center outside London on Monday, Johnson said he was “focused completely” on clearing a backlog of millions of medical procedures built up during the pandemic. It’s one of a pile of critical issues, including a squeeze on household finances from inflation and a looming tax hike, that are being overshadowed by scandal over lockdown-breaching government parties.

“I think what people want is for the government to focus, not on stuff going on at [the government district of] Westminster, but to focus on life … beyond Westminster, and to focus on the needs of the country,” Johnson said. “And that is what we’re doing.”

Johnson’s grip on power has been shaken by public anger over revelations that his staff held “bring your own booze” office parties, birthday celebrations and “wine time Fridays” in 2020 and 2021 while millions in Britain were barred from meeting with friends and family because of his government’s covid-19 restrictions.

A total of 16 parties have been investigated by a senior civil servant, Sue Gray, with a dozen of them also under investigation by the Metropolitan Police.

In an interim report last week into the four parties not under criminal investigation, Gray found that “failures of leadership and judgment” enabled events to occur that “should not have been allowed to take place” and described a Downing Street operation marked by excessive drinking and dysfunctional dynamics.

Johnson apologized — without admitting personal wrongdoing — and pledged to fix the problems in his office.

But on Friday he was rocked by the departure of five senior staff, including his chief of staff, his communications director and his policy director, Munira Mirza.

Mirza, a loyal longtime aide, stood by the prime minister amid the partygate revelations. But she said the final straw was Johnson’s “scurrilous accusation” that Starmer had failed to prosecute the late Jimmy Savile for sexual abuse when Starmer was the U.K.’s director of public prosecutions.

On Monday, Starmer was surrounded outside Parliament by protesters against coronavirus restrictions. They could be heard yelling “Traitor!” and citing Savile and throwing accusations of “protecting pedophiles.” Starmer was driven away in a police car. Police said two people were arrested.

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