Arise, Lord Cummings? Brexit mastermind claims Boris offered him peerage
Dominic Cummings grilled by Kuenssberg on 'conning' UK public
We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. More info
The former Number 10 senior advisor made those allegations during his second public interview since leaving office. Mr Cummings also claimed Mr Johnson discussed giving his now-wife Carrie Johnson a role that involved lots of travel. The strategist, who led the Vote Leave campaign that delivered Brexit in 2016, told The Spectator he was offered elevation to the House of Lords by the Prime Minister. However, it is unclear how seriously the proposal was made based on Mr Cummings’ comments.
He said: “He [Boris Johnson] said it but then he almost immediately started laughing and realised that that was not exactly the sort of thing that would buy me off.
“All reports about me getting big payoffs are all false.”
Downing Street have since issued a statement with regards to the comments, writing that “these claims are untrue”.
Mr Cummings was one of Mr Johnson’s closest advisors before the pair spectacularly fell out.
The strategist left Downing Street at the end of last year after feuding with Carrie Johnson.
He then became one of the fiercest critics of the Prime Minister.
Mr Cummings has since reignited his feud with Mrs Johnson, who married Mr Johnson in May.
The former advisor mentioned an alleged conversation that he had with the Prime Minister about giving Mrs Johnson a new role.
Mr Johnson was quoted saying: “Omigod, you’re right, she’s driving me crackers.
“We’ve got to find her a job with lots of foreign travel.
“Could we get the Cabinet Secretary to give her a job on COP26, travelling round with Kate Middleton?”
COP26 refers to the UN Climate Change Conference that will take place in Glasgow in November.
DON’T MISS
BBC backlash: Broadcaster defends ‘biased’ Dominic Cummings interview [VIDEO]
BBC warned against letting presenters set out ‘personal opinions’ [REPORT]
BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg warns Dominic Cummings to escalate Covid row [REVEAL]
Those claims have also been branded as “untrue” by Downing Street.
Mr Cummings also revealed that he has more than 1,500 subscribers to his Substack email.
Emails are sent out regularly and it costs £100 a year to subscribe.
The former advisor mentioned another conversation he had with the Prime Minister about how allegedly Mr Johnson was happy to allow a degree of chaos as he ran Downing Street.
Mr Cummings said: “I said to him in July, ‘you’re happier to live in chaos than to give me the power to sort it out’.”
He added: “And he laughed and said: ‘That’s 100 percent right. I’m quite happy to live with the chaos because then everyone will stick to the king – which is me.’
“Chaos doesn’t scare him the way it does most people. He thinks it makes everyone powerless against him.”
Mr Cummings also claimed that he did not take drugs but used to smoke “two or three packs” of cigarettes a day.
He said he stopped smoking about 10 years ago.
He also described the toll of leading the Vote Leave campaign had on him.
Mr Cummings said: “I’ve always slept OK until quite recently, but the referendum aged me 10 years in 10 months, and I was not the same person at the end of it.
“I was working till 11 every day and then there was one period after our boy was born in March 2016 when he was ill in hospital so I’d work till 11, then go into hospital to sit with him through the night, then go back to work.
“If you live like that for quite a long time, you start seeing wavy lines.”
The news comes after Mr Johnson and Mrs Johnson announced that they are expecting their second child together
The Prime Minister has spoken publicly about the recent announcement.
Mr Johnson told a reporter who asked how the couple were doing: “Well, we’re all in very good shape.
“Thank you very much though for your good wishes. Much appreciated.”
Source: Read Full Article