Trouble again: Boris Johnson on Thursday in front of 10 Downing Street
Image: AFP
Boris Johnson has consistently maintained that he promoted Christopher Pincher ignorant of his misconduct towards men. Now a lord in the House of Lords contradicts him. The British prime minister is threatened with new adversity – also within the party.
Hat Boris Johnson promoted a henchman despite knowing of his propensity to sexually harass men? That is the essence of the issue being debated in London. As is often the case when affairs are in full swing, the issue is less the importance of the occasion than what those in power knew and when. The prime minister recently assured that he had had no evidence of Christopher Pincher’s previous misconduct before making his appointment. Now that is precisely what is being denied by a Lord in the House of Lords.
Johnson made MP Pincher Deputy Chief Whip last February, giving him co-oversight of group discipline. Pincher resigned last week after sexually harassing two guests at a London private club while under the influence of alcohol. Since then, Johnson’s opponents have been investigating whether the prime minister gave the MP the job against his better judgment. A similar allegation had already been made in 2017, which Pincher was able to refute in an internal investigation. Immediately before Pincher’s promotion, the Prime Minister was “not aware of any specific allegations,” Downing Street said.