Cynical smearer Boris Johnson ignored Downing Street counsel in falsely blaming Keir Starmer for Jimmy Savile escaping prosecution, I’ve learned. No 10 advisers cautioned a Prime Minister itching for weeks to dishonestly link the Labour leader to the paedophile that it was a bad call and risked backfiring. My snout whispered that the explosive charge, which has been peddled by the far right, features in a Conservative Party dossier prepared on Starmer in early 2020 in preparation for his election as Labour leader. The plan was suspended after Covid erupted but, said the snout, a Johnson on the rack over lockdown parties “refreshed himself of the contents” to return fire on an opponent demanding his PM’s resignation. Johnson may get dirtier. The Tory file also claims that Starmer when chief prosecutor was soft on terrorists.
The Operation Save Big Dog spreadsheet overseen by Grant Shapps to save Johnson is more than a list of names of which Conservative MPs support and oppose the Prime Minister. My source disclosed that it contains Johnson’s 2019 leadership campaign promises to individual MPs, including gongs. Those still waiting are reassured previous pledges will be honoured while fresh inducements are dangled in front of waverers. “There’ll soon be more knights on our backbenches than in Windsor,” predicted the source.
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