The Sunday Times reveals the new scandal. The case concerns 2008. At that time he was the mayor of London, 43 years old, married with four children and the young university graduate.
London, Thanasis Gavos
Publication of Sunday Times reveals a complaint from a woman that the Boris Johnson “abused his authority” as mayor of london to make out with her sexual relationship and then tried to her appoint at the town hall.
The case concerns the 2008, when the now resigned Prime Minister was 43 years old, married with four children and the complainant, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was university graduate.
She had recently moved to London finding odd jobs and decided to get involved as an activist in Conservative Partyhelping out as a volunteer in Mr Johnson’s mayoral campaign for London.
The complainant asked years later to speak to Mr. Johnson. She met him in his parliamentary office on 7 November 2017, when he was Minister of Foreign Affairs and while the movement was strongly in the foreground #MeToo. At that meeting secretly recorded their discussion.
She told him she was “really shaken and upset” who had had sex with him, saying she considers herself an example of how every woman who enters the parliament building is potential victim of seduction by strong men.
She explained to him how “she will defend herself” and then described how nine years earlier they had met in his parliamentary office at his invitation for a drink. Asked if he remembered the details, Mr Johnson said “yes”.
The publication of Sunday Times on their website also includes one one minute excerpt of the 2017 taped debate.
In the extract Mr Johnson admits that he had recommended the complainant for employment at London City Hall. He even says that he was disappointed that the woman didn’t get the position in the end. As he adds, the hiring was rejected by his then colleague in the municipality Keith Malthouse, who just a few days ago was appointed to the “official” cabinet of the outgoing Prime Minister.
Boris Johnson is even heard admitting that one of the reasons the recruitment did not go ahead was, among other things, Mr Malthouse’s finding that the candidate “had a very friendly relationship” with him.
However, Mr Johnson is also heard saying it would be inappropriate for him to promote her to the job in an “abnormal” way.
The publication notes that it is yet another example of Mr Johnson using political influence to promote women with whom he had sexual relations, such as his current wife Carrie Simmonds and his mistress Jennifer Arcuri.
It is also highlighted that last week, after a long delay, Boris Johnson condemned the alleged incidents sexual harassment by the member of his government Chris Pincherexpressing his “distaste” for incidents “abuse of power anywhere in parliament, in this party or any other party”.
The paper adds that the new revelation will create pressure to widen the complaint against Mr Johnson by the relevant ethics authorities in parliament or town hall.
The woman initially approached the Sunday Times in April, but decided to make the complaint last week, believing the public needed to know what happened.
In the audio clip on the Sunday Times website Mr Johnson is also heard angry to swear and to say he had business, when the woman claimed he was avoiding meeting her.
He also urges her not to tell the then Prime Minister Theresa May, as the complainant had threatened him, that “Boris Johnson is a bastard.”
However, he defended himself at the 2017 meeting, saying he had not acted maliciously, inappropriately or in an aggressive manner and ultimately apologized to the complainant for his “insensitivity” and the distress the case had caused her.
Her representative Downing Street he said that the complaint does not concern his tenure as prime minister and that there is no comment on his personal life.
At the same time, the Observer reveals that Boris Johnson has appointed a new Chancellor of the Exchequer Nadeem Zahawi despite the fact that state officials indicated that the IRS had determined that his tax affairs should be investigated.
Although Mr Zahawi has not been found to have committed any wrongdoing, he is under pressure to explain the financial arrangements of a family offshore company.
Mr Zahawi announced on Saturday an intention to run for prime minister in the race to succeed Mr Johnson.
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