Former leader of the Conservative Party Michael Howard speaks to Guto Harri (right)
(Picture: PA Wire)Boris Johnson’s new spin doctor said his boss’s integrity is “hard to judge” in comments that have resurfaced.
However, it has emerged that Mr Harri gave a critical interview about Mr Johnson’s character on the BBC Newscast podcast on January 26.
Mr Harri was speaking in anticipation of the release of the Sue Gray report into parties in No 10 and across Whitehall during lockdown.
He said Mr Johnson’s competence could be bolstered “if you change the team convincingly and comprehensively”.
He added: “So you’re left with the issue of integrity and that’s the one that’s hard to judge and different people will come to different conclusions.”
He also questioned the Prime Minister’s judgement amid claims he was involved in the decision to evacuate animals from Afghanistan following the fall of Kabul.
Mr Johnson denies involvement in the evacuation despite leaked emails appearing to show the opposite.
Mr Harri said: “I think that is a very serious one.”
“The issue (of) whether you put dogs ahead of human beings on an escape flight out of Afghanistan, for me, is far more important than cake in Downing Street.
“And if this allegation is as appears then it’s a very, very serious issue in terms of integrity, competence, priorities, and indeed it raises that other spectre that never goes away of who is influencing him and we all know who’s being accused of doing so on this occasion, because she is an animal lover more than him really.”
Asked if he was referring to the PM’s wife Carrie Johnson, he replied: “You said it, not me.”
Mr Harri told Newscast Mr Johnson had “always underestimated how critical it is to have a fantastic team around him”.
He said: “I think the challenge for Boris, and this will be one of the questions for his party now, there is no doubt he’s one of those really creative players – say a nifty little winger for those of you who like rugby – who thinks that even when the team is doing badly and they’re going backwards, and it’s horrible conditions, that if only he gets the ball he can run through everything and score a try.
“Now that’s great if you’re a winger, and it’s great for your glory, but Boris has always underestimated how critical it is to have a fantastic team around him, and I don’t think even if he can pull this back, he will be allowed to do it unless he promises to his party that he’s going to overhaul that machinery.”
He said he did not think the PM “necessarily needs to change”, but he “needs to cover his weaknesses”.
He added: “So somebody’s got to corner him, get him to really work out what he wants, and then communicate that with authority to everybody else so that it gets done.”
Earlier in January, Mr Harri appeared on Newsnight and said Mr Johnson needed to issue a “grovelling apology – a really grovelling apology” over the partygate saga.
He dubbed the scandal “toxic” and told the BBC programme: “I think we can safely assume that there were many more gatherings like this because it seems to be a pattern.
“Somebody needs to put them in context and explain, yes maybe they’re unforgivable but they’re also understandable at the time in some ways.
“The problem at the moment is that nobody seems to be getting a grip, and the Prime Minister has to invite an inquiry to conclude what went on in his own house.”
