BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg reveals Boris lost two key backers after offering them same job

Boris Johnson offered two MPs same role claims Kuenssberg

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Laura Kuenssberg, the former political editor of the BBC, said she had spoken to people who were “part of some of the conversations” revolving around the survival of Boris Johnson in the final days before his resignation. She described the “mad” scene of two key backers realising they had been offered the same job by the PM, who was trying to get them to stay. Ms Keunssberg described the situation as “incredible”, as Boris Johnson continues to run the country as a caretaker PM while the Tory leadership contest continues. 

Ms Keunssberg said: “I’ve been scurrying around basically trying to talk to people who were in the room behind closed doors. 

“Who were part of some of the conversations when Boris Johnson was trying to get them to stay. 

“People were being dangled promotions to stay, but I found out it went wrong because two people were offered the same job and then compared notes and realised they were offered the same job to stay. 

“I think in that particular case they probably would have quit anyway.” 

Adam Fleming said: “Was that disorganisation or actually offering more than what was available?” 

Ms Keunssberg said: “Well, I think as another source put it: ‘It was mad.’ Right? And you’ve got this incredible picture of how power can actually just fall away.” 

Boris Johnson led the Conservative Party to an 80-seat majority in the 2019 general election on the promise to get Brexit done. 

It was their biggest election victory since 1987 and, winning 43.6 percent of the popular vote, it was the highest percentage for any party since 1979 – but three years later, he resigned from office.

While Mr Johnson led the country through a global pandemic and a war on Europe’s eastern front, a fact his Chancellor Nadhim Zahawi pointed to this week as a mark of the PM’s success, a series of scandals derailed the Government along the way. 

The latest and final straw was the handling of former Tory deputy chief whip Chris Pincher, of whom Mr Johnson allegedly said: “Pincher by name, pincher by nature.” 

On June 29, Mr Pincher reportedly groped two men in a private club. The revelations sparked a haul of further accusations from previous years made against him. 

It then emerged that Mr Johnson had been made aware of some of these allegations as early as 2019, as leaked by Lord McDonald, a former civil servant, but had decided to promote the MP instead of firing him. 

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Mr Johnson received further criticism having originally denied ever being made aware of Mr Pincher’s behaviour, before admitting he had forgotten about being told. 

Prior to the Pincher problem, Mr Johnson faced a series of inquiries into allegations of rule-breaking during lockdown. 

The Prime Minister was fined for hosting his 56th birthday party in 2020 at the height of lockdown. 

After battling against Partygate and issues of Chris Pincher, Mr Johnson relented last week and handed in his resignation. 

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