Boris Johnson to chair Cabinet as allegations mount
Boris Johnson will chair a meeting of the Cabinet later today after a series of damaging claims over the Prime Minister’s conduct during the pandemic.
In recent days Number 10 has been rocked by a number of allegations, including from former aide Dominic Cummings, about Johnson’s approach to the pandemic.
Yesterday it was claimed that the Prime Minister said he would rather “see the bodies piled high” than commit the UK to another lockdown.
Number 10 has denied the allegation, calling in “total rubbish”, but the claims have heaped pressure onto Johnson.
Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove also denied the claim, telling Parliament: “The idea that he would say any such thing I find incredible. I was in that room, I never heard language of that kind.”
According to the Telegraph, he will today tell his top ministerial team to “totally focused on the public’s priorities” as he bids to shift the narrative.
These include “fighting Covid, delivering vaccines and creating jobs as we proceed on the path back to normality”.
Among a series of recent leaks, which Downing Street believes are the responsibility of Cummings, was a report that the Prime Minister has also borrowed money from Conservative head office to pay for the renovation of Downing Street.
In a blog post at the end of the last week, Cummings denied responsibility for the leaks.
But with local election now just over a week away, there are fears that such reports will damage the Tories.
An Ipsos Mori poll yesterday had them dropping from 45 per cent of the vote to 40 per cent in a month.