A former Conservative minister has said Boris Johnson’s Jimmy Savile smear attack against Sir Keir Starmer was “grim” and warned against the use of such tactics in the run-up to the general election.
Mark Harper became the latest Tory MP to speak out against the prime minister’s discredited claim that the Labour leader had “failed” to prosecute the paedophile.
One unnamed Conservative MP said they expected to “see some more of this sort of thing in the run-up to the next general election”, according to HuffPost UK.
Responding, Mr Harper tweeted: “Grim. This is not the kind of country we want to be. The prospect of adopting this approach poses yet more serious questions for my Conservative MP colleagues and I to consider in the weeks and months ahead.”
The ex-chief whip’s warning that Tory backbenchers were considering the Savile slur as they pondered the prime minister’s future was shared on Twitter by influential backbencher Steve Baker MP.
At least 12 Tory MPs – including David Davis, Sir Roger Gale, Stephen Hammond, Tobias Ellwood and Julian Smith – have now tweeted criticism of the prime minister or spoken publicly condemning his remarks.
Health minister Ed Argar defended Mr Johnson over the controversy on Wednesday – claiming it was nothing “personal” and suggesting that the PM would not be apologising at PMQs later today.
Mr Argar told Sky News: “The prime minister has been very clear. He’s clarified what he was talking about. He’s clarified that he was talking about Sir Keir in the context of his leadership role at the CPS.”
He added: “It wasn’t a personal point he was making … I accept that clarification, but we all need to be mindful of the language we use.”
Mr Johnson was rebuked by the Commons speaker and warned that “words have consequences” after a mob surrounded Sir Keir and shouted abuse, repeating slurs about Savile.
Sir Lindsay Hoyle said condemned his remarks in Commons last week were “inappropriate” and “only inflame opinions”.
Meanwhile, former Conservative prime minister Sir John Major is expected to offer criticism of Mr Johnson and the loss of trust over the Partygate scandal this week.
The ex-Tory leader will speak at Institute of Government on Thursday in a speech entitled “In democracy we trust?” Sir John will “call into question” No 10’s response to allegations of parties and lockdown rule breaches, according to The Telegraph.
It follows major Tory donor John Armitage saying Boris Johnson is past “the point of no return” following the Partygate scandal and should step down.
