Tory leadership: did Boris Johnson's campaign engage in dirty tricks?
Allegations of dark arts and intimidation as Michael Gove is knocked out

Boris Johnson and Jeremy Hunt have been chosen as the final two candidates in the race for the Tory leadership amid claims that tactical voting blocked Michael Gove from making it through.
There is no love lost between Johnson and Gove after the 2016 leadership contest, when Gove abandoned Johnson's bid to be leader to launch one of his own.
There is speculation over “dark arts” from Johnson’s team, because although five MPs who had supported Sajid Javid promised to switch to Johnson in the final ballot, Johnson's vote share increased by just three.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Simon Clarke, a Boris supporter, said some MPs may have “freelanced” outside the official campaign, adding: “I think some people might have taken it upon themselves to try and steer the outcome.”
An unnamed Boris backer told The Times: “Gove stabbed us in the back — we’ve stabbed him in the front.”
The Guardian says Johnson’s team was “accused of skulduggery” during a “nail-biting afternoon of lobbying in Westminster’s wood-panelled corridors”.
The Times says “Johnson’s supporters boasted last night that they had exacted revenge on Michael Gove”.
Sky News quotes a “battle-hardened Boris Johnson supporter” as saying: “Revenge is a dish best served cold,” and adding: “To lose by two votes: he'll forever be wondering what if, what if, there's no peace in that.”
In the first round of voting yesterday, Johnson secured 157 votes, Gove had 61, Hunt took 59 and Javid attracted 34. With Javid eliminated, in the second round Johnson increased his tally by three to 160 while Hunt usurped Gove to secure a place in the run-off with 77 votes to Gove’s 75.
Meanwhile, there have been intimidations of dirty tricks by Johnson’s campaign. The Times says a Tory MP has seen a text sent to a junior minister who was still backing a non-Johnson candidate yesterday morning which read: “How are you enjoying your job? Do you want to carry on?”
Another claims that MPs who were supporting Johnson’s rivals were intimidated in a variety of ways. “People have been told that they’ll never get a job unless they switch sides. One was even threatened that their private life would be exposed. It’s pretty disgusting stuff.”
Sky News adds that “there was talk of aggressive arm-twisting by MPs to come out early and publicly for Mr Johnson or risk career suicide”.
A spokesman for Johnson’s campaign described claims that they had manipulated Hunt’s success as “absolute nonsense”.
Johnson and Hunt now have until late July to try to convince the Conservative Party's 160,000 members to vote for them.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Today's political cartoons - March 30, 2025
Cartoons Sunday's cartoons - strawberry fields forever, secret files, and more
By The Week US Published
-
5 hilariously sparse cartoons about further DOGE cuts
Cartoons Artists take on free audits, report cards, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Following the Tea Horse Road in China
The Week Recommends This network of roads and trails served as vital trading routes
By The Week UK Published
-
Has Starmer put Britain back on the world stage?
Talking Point UK takes leading role in Europe on Ukraine and Starmer praised as credible 'bridge' with the US under Trump
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
CPAC: Scenes from a MAGA zoo
Feature Standing ovations, chainsaws, and salutes
By The Week US Published
-
Left on read: Labour's WhatsApp dilemma
Talking Point Andrew Gwynne has been sacked as health minister over messages posted in a Labour WhatsApp group
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
New Year's Honours: why the controversy?
Today's Big Question London Mayor Sadiq Khan and England men's football manager Gareth Southgate have both received a knighthood despite debatable records
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Is there a Christmas curse on Downing Street?
Today's Big Question Keir Starmer could follow a long line of prime ministers forced to swap festive cheer for the dreaded Christmas crisis
By The Week UK Published
-
John Prescott: was he Labour's last link to the working class?
Today's Big Quesiton 'A total one-off': tributes have poured in for the former deputy PM and trade unionist
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Last hopes for justice for UK's nuclear test veterans
Under the Radar Thousands of ex-service personnel say their lives have been blighted by aggressive cancers and genetic mutations
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
Will Donald Trump wreck the Brexit deal?
Today's Big Question President-elect's victory could help UK's reset with the EU, but a free-trade agreement with the US to dodge his threatened tariffs could hinder it
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published