Boris Johnson has bowed to pressure and rowed back on a controversial comment about Keir Starmer and Jimmy Savile, after three days of pressure from Tory MPs for him to withdraw the “smear”.
The controversy began on Monday, when Johnson launched an attack on Starmer during a testy Commons exchange about a damning document on alleged Covid rule-busting parties in No 10 and across Whitehall.
In response to the Sue Gray inquriy, which identified serious failures of leadership at the top of government but was heavily pared back given an ongoing Scotland Yard investigation, Starmer called on Tory backbenchers to “end this farce” and oust Johnson.
The prime minister retorted by accusing Starmer of trying to “prejudge a police inquiry”, adding that as director of public prosecutions from 2008 to 2013, Starmer had “spent most of his time prosecuting journalists and failing to prosecute Jimmy Savile”.
Starmer later accused Johnson of “parroting the conspiracy theories of violent fascists” for political gain. A Tory MP and former chief whip, Julian Smith, also said the “smear” was “wrong and cannot be defended”.
On Thursday, during a visit to Blackpool, Johnson was challenged to withdraw the remark.
He said: “I want to be very clear about this because a lot of people have got very hot under the collar, and I understand why. Let’s be absolutely clear, I’m talking not about the leader of the opposition’s personal record when he was director of public prosecutions and I totally understand that he had nothing to do personally with those decisions. I was making a point about his responsibility for the organisation as a whole. I really do want to clarify that because it is important.”
Not really a withdrawal, even less of an apology, for lying about Sir Keir. BJ’s a bad loser and this time he incensed some of his own party by going too far in his personal remarks.
But I’m sure he knew what the reaction would be when he said that and did it deliberately in the hope the fuss it caused would distract a bit from his own despicable behaviour
You’re playing into his hands by talking about it Omah
Let’s talk about how he was partying while people were dying alone
Boris Johnson’s head of policy has resigned over the PM’s false claim that Sir Keir Starmer failed to prosecute serial sex offender Jimmy Savile when he was director of public prosecutions.
The PM backed down on Thursday, saying the Labour leader “had nothing to do personally with those decisions”.
But Munira Mirza said he should have apologised for the misleading remarks.
In her resignation letter, published by The Spectator, she wrote: “You are a better man than many of your detractors will ever understand, which is why it is so desperately sad that you let yourself down by making a scurrilous accusation against the leader of the opposition.”
I was watching that session in Parliament on TV -
His apology was insincere - he is just sorry he got caught out - then when he lashed out at Starmer in that Trumpian style, to try to deflect blame away from himself, that was the lowest point of the session.
He really showed his true colours there.
If you want to watch insincerity and smugness watch Australian PM, Scotty from Marketing, at the Press Club when it was revealed that the Premier of NSW and a minister in his government (both from his party) describe him as a “horrible, horrible person”, “a fraud” and a “complete psycho”
Two people have been arrested amid clashes as protesters surrounded Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer.
Sir Keir was protected by police and removed by car near Parliament shortly after 17:00 GMT on Monday.
Protesters could be heard shouting “traitor” and criticising his record on Covid, and there were some cries of “Jimmy Savile”.
Some Tory MPs urged Boris Johnson to withdraw his false claim that Sir Keir failed to prosecute Savile.
Mr Johnson has been heavily criticised for making a false claim that Sir Keir failed to prosecute serial sex offender Savile when he was director of public prosecutions.
The prime minister made the remark in parliament last Monday as he was grilled by MPs over the findings of an interim report on Downing Street parties held during Covid restrictions.
Conservative MP Julian Smith tweeted: “What happened to Keir Starmer tonight outside Parliament is appalling. It is really important for our democracy & for his security that the false Savile slurs made against him are withdrawn in full.”
Another Conservative MP, Sir Roger Gale, echoed those sentiments and said he feared the “disgraceful treatment” of Sir Keir was “the direct result of the deliberately careless use of language” in the House of Commons.
Mr Johnson has condemned the behaviour of the protesters but made no comment about the content of their accusations, far less addressed suggestions that his own conduct may have had something to do with it.
BJ’s lies are for mugs - sadly, mugs there are a-plenty …
Maybe it’s time “parliamentary privilege” was reviewed -
it’s a crazy system that allows the PM, or any other MP, to stand up in Parliament and make false allegations about another MP, without any risk of being sued for slander because of “parliamentary privilege” while nobody in the House is allowed to say he is lying or they get kicked out.
These protesters are part of the Piers Corbyn crowd and Momentum supporters. They’ve been haranguing politicians and journalists outside Westminster for a month now. This particular incident was an organised oppose everything event, and it was Starmer’s turn to be heckled and abused.
