Boris Johnson reveals he'd love 'a crack' at being PM
London mayor fuels leadership speculation by saying he'd love to have a go at 'Cameron Minor's' job
BORIS JOHNSON has admitted he would like a "crack" at being Prime Minister, but insists "it's not going to happen". The London mayor says in a television profile called Boris Johnson: the Irresistible Rise to be shown on BBC2 next week: "Obviously, if the ball came loose from the back of a scrum - which it won't - it would be a great, great thing to have a crack at."
The mayor's words come at a "sensitive time" for David Cameron, who has been "beset by rumours of leadership plots against him", says The Times. Home Secretary Theresa May and Tory backbencher Adam Afriyie have both been positioning themselves to succeed Cameron, but until now, Johnson has "kept out of" leadership speculation.
Also, the veteran Tory MP Sir Peter Tapsell has reportedly told the PM he is "keeping his seat warm" for Johnson should he wish to return to Westminster.
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.
The BBC2 profile provides a fascinating insight into the relationship between Johnson and Cameron. Johnson, 48, was two years ahead of the PM at Eton, but tells the programme makers he has only limited memories of his fellow Conservative.
"I do remember Dave," Johnson says. "Someone said to me once, 'That's Cameron mi' and there was this tiny chap, I dimly remember."
Johnson's sister Rachel tells the BBC that her brother feels a "continuing superiority" over Cameron. "When they're together it's rather sweet, because David Cameron - even though he's taller - looks at Boris as if he's still head boy at Eton," she says.
Asked if her brother was resentful that Cameron had become PM, Rachel says: "No, it gives Boris a sense of continuing superiority because he was Captain of the School."
During his interview, Johnson is shown the "infamous" photograph of him posing next to Cameron and George Osborne as members of the elitist Oxford University society, the Bullingdon Club. Johnson describes the image as "a truly shameful vignette of almost superhuman undergraduate arrogance and toffishness and twittishness.
"But you know it was great fun at the time," he adds.
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
-
Why Bhutan hopes tourists will put a smile back on its face
Under The Radar The 'kingdom of happiness' is facing economic problems and unprecedented emigration
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
7 beautiful towns to visit in Switzerland during the holidays
The Week Recommends Find bliss in these charming Swiss locales that blend the traditional with the modern
By Catherine Garcia, The Week US Published
-
The Week contest: Werewolf bill
Puzzles and Quizzes
By The Week US 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
-
What is the next Tory leader up against?
Today's Big Question Kemi Badenoch or Robert Jenrick will have to unify warring factions and win back disillusioned voters – without alienating the centre ground
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
What is Lammy hoping to achieve in China?
Today's Big Question Foreign secretary heads to Beijing as Labour seeks cooperation on global challenges and courts opportunities for trade and investment
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Is Britain about to 'boil over'?
Today's Big Question A message shared across far-right groups listed more than 30 potential targets for violence in the UK today
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
UK's Starmer slams 'far-right thuggery' at riots
Speed Read The anti-immigrant violence was spurred by false rumors that the suspect in the Southport knife attack was an immigrant
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
How could J.D. Vance impact the special relationship?
Today's Big Question Trump's hawkish pick for VP said UK is the first 'truly Islamist country' with a nuclear weapon
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published