Former MEP David Campbell Bannerman defended the idea that former Prime Minister Boris Johnson should return to the Conservative Party’s political frontline, blaming the media and his staffers for the Partygate “set up.”
The conversation comes amid calls by some Conservatives to bring him back after a disastrous local election run for the party across the country.
Appearing on Good Morning Britain, host Susanna Reid challenged Bannerman on his suggestion that he be brought back as Tory Party chairman: “Boris isn’t even an MP anymore. In what way are they going to bring back Boris?”
Bannerman replied: “Well, I accept that, but he can be part of a team under a new leader, and I’d make him party chairman, give him a seat in the cabinet, set him up with a seat for next time, so he can come back in the future.”
Reid asked: “You remember Partygate?”
Bannerman responded: “Yes, I do. Yes, he was set up on that. Have you read The Plot by Nadine Doris?”
The host’s skepticism was palpable as she asked: “Sorry, he was set up?” Bannerman returned: “He was set up.”
Reid pressed harder, “By whom?” to which Bannerman claimed: “By his own staff, for heaven’s sake, who were briefing against him. I mean, it is outrageous what was going on.”
Reid countered pointing to Johnson’s social gatherings during the pandemic lockdown, breaking “legislation he introduced” and asked “In what way
Bannerman deflected: “Well, it’s a very complex picture. If you read The Plot…”
Reid interjected: “It’s not very complex. It really isn’t very complex.”
Bannerman continued to argue for a nuanced view, stating, “He was fine. Boris doesn’t like partying. He was at Chequers half the time.”
Reid replied: “I just saw him with a glass of wine in his hand.”
Bannerman pushed back: “It was the media there. No, look, it’s much more complex than that. And to be honest, if it was that damaging, why was it that he was only 2 to 4 percent behind in the polls after Partygate and now we’re 24 percent behind in the polls?”
Fellow panel member journalist Inaya Folarin Iman critiqued the idea of bringing Johnson back: “Well, I think what we’re seeing is part of the reason why I don’t think Boris should be brought back as leader. The failure to actually understand the reason why Boris Johnson essentially had to resign as leader is really what we’re seeing today.”
She continued: “It is a really difficult one, because as you do also see in America with Trump, he’s facing all sorts of legal and criminal charges. But that has still meant that because people think that he could potentially win against Biden, people have supported him. I just don’t think
Co-host Ed Balls added to the critique, asking: “Why did he resign then?”
Bannerman conceded: “I don’t know, actually. He would have won. I went to Uxbridge and actually campaigned in Uxbridge and I think he would have won. And people were saying that [Labour Party MP] Harriet Harman has stolen our Boris away. So, I think he could have won, actually, in Uxbridge. But I think he will be back. But this is a way to do it, make him party chairman, get him back in the Cabinet.”
Watch on Good Morning Britain.