Opposition parties are expected to push this week for answers about allegations that Boris Johnson sought to secure a job for a young woman he was having a sexual relationship with, the woman later arguing she felt he had abused his power.
The Liberal Democrats have called for a full investigation into the claims, reported by the Sunday Times, which date back to 2008, when Johnson was mayor of London. Downing Street has argued there is “no public interest” in the story.
According to the Sunday Times, Johnson, who was aged 43, married with four children, and still MP for Henley as well as London mayor, had a brief sexual relationship with the woman, who was a Tory activist in her 20s.
Johnson pushed for the woman, who has not been identified, to have a job at City Hall. This was reportedly blocked over concerns about her closeness to Johnson by Kit Malthouse, who is now Johnson’s Cabinet Office minister.
In 2017, the woman had a meeting with Johnson, which she recorded, telling him she was “really shaken and upset” about the event, and calling it an example of how young women in politics were seen as “fair game”.
The recording shows Johnson repeatedly apologising, telling the woman: “I’m very, very sorry, your unhappiness about this.” But he denied any wrongdoing, saying: “I don’t believe that I was malicious and I don’t believe that I would have been aggressive or anything like that. I think that would be not fair.”
It is possible an opposition party could seek an urgent question in the Commons over the claims on Monday, although plans for these are never discussed publicly in advance due to parliamentary protocols.
These claims are the third time that Johnson has been accused of seeking employment favours for a woman with whom he has been having a relationship. He assisted a London-based US tech entrepreneur, Jennifer Arcuri, to get places on business events, and reportedly sought a senior Foreign Office role for his then girlfriend, Carrie Symonds, now his wife.
Daisy Cooper, the Lib Dems’ deputy leader, said: “The woman’s account is deeply distressing to read and it’s clear this must be investigated immediately, either by a parliamentary body or City Hall authorities.
“British politics has been repeatedly dragged through the mud in recent weeks … It is utterly depressing that not only has another politician in high office been accused of abusing their power, but that it is now the sitting prime minister who faces serious questions.”
A Downing Street spokesperson said: “This not about his time as PM, and no public interest, as I see it. And we don’t talk about his private life.”
