Boris Johnson was hardly the picture of loyalty at a press conference this afternoon. He was asked why Sir Paul Stephenson should have to resign because of his links with Neil Wallis, when David Cameron has not over his links to Andy Coulson. Rather than dismissing the suggestion that the Prime Minister’s resignation might be necessary, Johnson replied:
This is a matter you must frankly direct to Number 10 Downing Street, and I suggest you ask them.
Cameron, currently on a trade trip to Africa, will be less than thrilled. FT Westminster also reports that a Daily Mail journalist asked him whether he was considering his position. He responded with deliberately vague language:
The British government, in terms of the phone hacking scandal, has taken all of the appropriate actions. we have set up a judicial inquiry, we have made sure there is a properly funded police investigation. We have published huge amounts of information about any meetings between politicians and senior media executives. So i think we have given a very clear answer. Parliament is going to come back on Wednesday, I’m going to make a big statement updating what we are doing with the judicial inquiry. I will be able to answer any of the questions that have come up in the last couple of days. I feel I have been out there in Parliament, in press conferences fully answering the questions, fully transparent, very clear about what needs to be done – making sure that Britain gets to the bottom of what has been a terrible episode in terms of what newpapers have done, hacking into private data. And also some very big questions about potential police corruption. we need to get to the bottom of those.
Cameron may be wishing he had stayed in London to keep a better eye on his friend and colleague.
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