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Johnson Says He Would Have Become Prime Minister Either Way
Boris Johnson stated he would have become prime minister regardless of his position on leaving the European Union. Former prime minister David Cameron and former chancellor George Osborne said they believe Johnson backed Leave to advance his leadership prospects.
Jun 1, 7:01 PM·1m read1 source
The IndependentAudio version
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Boris Johnson said he would have become prime minister regardless of whether he supported leaving the European Union. He made the statement in a two-part BBC documentary scheduled to air next week. Johnson said he backed leaving the European Union on principle.
He also said then-prime minister David Cameron threatened to “f* you up forever” if he campaigned against remaining in the European Union.
Cameron said he does not recall using that language.
Cameron added that he does not believe Johnson thought Britain would vote to leave the European Union at the time. George Osborne said Johnson’s decision had nothing to do with the European Union or Britain’s place in the world. Osborne described Johnson as focused on a leadership contest.
Johnson’s ex-wife Marina Wheeler KC said her concerns about European Union law influenced her husband’s thinking. Johnson’s sister Rachel said the pro-remain version of an article Johnson drafted was stronger than the pro-leave version. The documentary also reports disagreements among leave campaigners over campaign claims and describes reactions to the June 16 murder of Labour MP Jo Cox.
The first episode airs on BBC Two on June 8.
