Boris Johnson is defended by Culture Secretary in series of awkward, often awkward interviews
One person is the prime minister’s most trusted defender as it continues to wear down after No 10’s “partygate” scandal.
Nadine Dorries, unaffected by the two new calls for Johnson’s resignation and reports that police have a photo of Johnson holding an Estrella can at his lockdown birthday celebration, jumped to Johnson’s defense on Saturday in a series bizarre interviews.
The culture secretary’s morning radio blitz included an awkward interview with Charlie Stayt from BBC Breakfast. Dorries refused to answer whether she had spoken with the prime minister in recent times.
She spoke live from Gloucestershire and said that Johnson had “communicated”. She reprimanded Stayt’s questioning style in a combative exchange that was reminiscent of Kellyanne Conway, Donald Trump’s former adviser.
When asked if she had spoken with the prime minister in the last 24 hours, she replied: “Why?” She asked him why he was asking that question. He replied that he wanted to know, but she only revealed that they had “communicated”.
Johnson’s mood was answered by her in a positive response. She also revealed that the expression “onwards” is his favorite expression. She asked Johnson if he had changed and he replied, “Changed what?”
Stayt said, “His attitude.” Dorries replied, “To what?”
Johnson’s claims regarding employment numbers were brought up by her. She insists that Johnson is telling the truth “to his best knowledge” – as a result of advice he received from his aides. He did quote that, so did he really tell the truth? She said that he did tell the truth, as it was given to his.
She then went to BBC Radio 4’s Today, where she mixed up the names Martin Vickers and Matt Vickers, Tory MPs. When she was asked about the 2019 intake red wall MPs she began talking about Martin Vickers, who she claimed is “up the far north of England” in South Tees and has recently supported the prime minister on Channel 4 News. She was actually talking about Matt Vickers (MP for Stockton South, Tees Valley), who said Wednesday that Teesside has a lot of things to be happy about.
Then she moved to Times Radio, where her suggestion was that prime minister’s dissenters were part of a stayer plot.
She said that “there are a few voices, whether they were people who were ardent remain supporters, who see this is their last chance to reverse Brexit.” When she was asked if Johnson’s actions were part of a “remainer plot”, her answer was: “That certain is in play with a group.”
In an interview with Sky News she maintained that 97% of Tory MPs support the prime Minister and that Sajid Javid was “100% behind Johnson” despite trying to distance himself from his false claims that Keir Starmer failed to prosecute Jimmy Savile.
She reprimanded Niall Paterson, telling him: “I’m no random backbencher.”
