Mayor Of London Devastated By Interview About His Checkered Past
London's Mayor Boris Johnson lashed out at a BBC journalist after things got a little too personal.
Johnson, whose goofy charm and successful handling of London's 2012 Olympic Games have led to talk of him becoming prime minister, was interviewed ahead of a BBC Two documentary that will delve into allegations from his past.
Johnson was asked about his days as a journalist when he was fired from the Times for making up a quote.
"I mildly sandpapered something someone had said. It is very embarrassing, and I am very sorry about it," he responded.
The mayor was also asked about allegations that he lied to a journalist, and that he provided a friend with the address of a journalist that the friend wanted to rough up.
At one point the host, Eddie Mair, says to Johnson "You're a nasty piece of work, aren't you?"
The interview is especially tense when you read the transcript (which you can see here as a pdf). Note that "over" means Mair is talking over Johnson:
EDDIE MAIR: (over) Yes. You made something up. Let me ask about another little, er…
BORIS JOHNSON: (over) Well, I mean, I mildly sandpapered something somebody said, and yes it’s very embarrassing and I’m very sorry about it.
EDDIE MAIR: Let me ask you about a bare-faced lie. When you were in Michael Howard’s team, you denied to him you were having an affair. It turned out you were and he sacked you for that. Why did you lie to your Party leader?
BORIS JOHNSON: Well, I mean again, I’m… with great respect… On that, I never had any conversation with Michael Howard about that matter and, you know, I don’t propose…
EDDIE MAIR: (over) You did lie to him.
BORIS JOHNSON: Well, you know, I don’t propose to go in to all that again.
EDDIE MAIR: I don’t blame you.
Here's another brutal section:
EDDIE MAIR: (over) Aren’t you in fact, making up quotes, lying to your party leader, wanting to be part of someone being physically assaulted? You’re a nasty piece of work, aren’t you?
BORIS JOHNSON: Well, Eddie, I think of all three things I would dispute …
EDDIE MAIR: You don’t factually dispute them.
BORIS JOHNSON: Well I do. And I can, you know, if we had a long time, which we don’t, I could explain that I think all three interpretations you’re putting on those things aren’t wholly fair. And certainly, the final thing which you raise, which is the case of my old friend Darius, yes, it was certainly true that he was in a bit of state and I did humour him in a long phone conversation, from which absolutely nothing eventuated and… you know, there you go. But I think if any of us had our phone conversations bugged, they might, you know, people say all sorts of fantastical things whist they’re talking to their friends.
EDDIE MAIR: But even Conrad Black, your friend. Convicted fraudster, even he says he doesn’t trust you completely.
BORIS JOHNSON: I hadn’t seen that Conrad had said that, but obviously, you know, nonetheless I have got a great admiration for Conrad who in my view is a pretty good journalist and a pretty good proprietor.
What's so weird about this is that Johnson has known about these accusations (if they are even that — he doesn't dispute them) for years, and still has no good way to explain his behaviour.
On Twitter it seems the reactions are unanimous — it was a bloodbath:
You can see the rest of the interview here: