Watch Boris Johnson's interview with Eddie Mair in which he struggled to answer questions about his past

By Tim Montgomerie
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The BBC's Eddie Mair questioned Boris as to whether he had made up a quote while working at The Times, lied to Michael Howard and had helped a friend target another journalist with threats of violence. Mr Mair accused the Mayor of London of being a "nasty piece of work". Boris looked uncomfortable throughout and unprepared for the onslaught.

LibDemVoice's Stephen Tall blogged that some Tory MPs will be glad this morning that Cameron, rather than Mr Johnson, is their leader.

I called it car crash TV. Boris' advisors need to lock the Mayor in a room for three hours and conduct some US-style debate prep so that he can answer these questions a lot more effectively in future.

2.15pm: The full interview:

Comments

[Sallyroberts]

Poor Boris!!! I'd LOVE to get the chance to grill the Sanctimonious Eddie Mair about HIS private life - I bet he'd wriggle on the hook too.

[RutlandReliable]

This was a disgraceful interview and the one who should be embarrased is Eddie Mair who should never again be invited to host the Andrew Marr programme.

[radsatser]

Boris was a shambles. His sexual peccadilloes are one thing, confronted with his lies exposed him as just another politician who couldn't tell the truth to save his life.

[Bill Bailey]

Boris NEVER answers a question. What's new?

[Rob Henwood]

I don't see the point of interviewing Boris Johnson about his past. The man has been Mayor of London for 5 years. He has been voted in despite his image of being a loveable Buffoon.

The Andrew Marr Show is only interested in salacious headline generation. It was worse when Andrew Marr presented it. Eddie Mair was just making up for his performance with IDS who was allowed to talk for minutes without being interrupted. That wasn't a bad thing by the way as IDS gave a robust defence of his ideals.

Back to Boris... Boris should be questioned on his record while in charge of London. He could quite easily be tripped up on a record of non-delivery of housing or closeness to the bankers. His past, to me, is irrelevant. I'm more interested in what he can achieve now.

[PhilKean1]

How many times have I told you?

Boris is NOT the man who is going to rescue the Conservative Party and the country. ALL serious Conservatives must start getting real and stop heaping praise on people of little substance who can only take us from the frying pan into the fire.
.

[boudicca]

I wonder if Cameron has already mailed a cheque to Mair?

[christina Speight]

Clearly Boris hadn't a clue this was coming and wasn't ready for it - over-confident. I have never thought that he would be right for prime minister BUT he's doing a wonderful job as London Mayor and the place hasn't been as well run in my lifetime and that goes back a VERY long way. He's tackled years of neglect and dealt with issues that others have fudged.

I am none the wiser about the details of the allegations OR THEIR DATES. It would be a remarkable person that has no skeletons in their cupboard at all - were these in his wild oats youth ?

Mair shoots himself in the foot by disclosing what his questions are about - to prove that Boris is "A nasty piece of work". That is an admission of being himself what he accuses Boris of.

[Let's cook up a conspiracy theory - - that the questions and allegations were fed to Mair by No:10, trying to make Cameron look in comparison. There! That's tomorrow's story - - anyone want it? No need to acknowledge your source!]

[Grumble000]

That would be mild compared to what Boris will be subjected too if he ever got his hands on the greasy pole, (no innuendo there) it really would.

It should have been pointed out too Boris that if you do not report the intention of someone to commit a criminal offence, (serious physical assault) regardless of whether they commit the offence or not, you yourself are committing an offence.

Someone mentioned IDS, I wonder how many Catholic Conservatives could in all conscience support a man who had committed a mortal sin,(i.e. Petronella Wyatt's abortion) would you in effect be committing a mortal sin, by voting for or supporting that person?

When you think of the roasting that Ed.M. got for not being married to his partner, and those who are happy to defend Boris despite his rather spotty record when it comes to marital loyalty it does make you wonder if the word hypocrites means anything to them.

[Peter Buss]

Boris is a great Mayor but that was also a fine journalistic interview by the incomparable Eddie Mair. Boris has pronounced himself as wanting to become PM.Surely questions aboiut his integrity are hugely relevant. go an about it being a wicked BBC stitch up - it was very fair interviewing.

[Ricardian]

Eddie Mair was appalling. He just kept interrupting and never gave Boris a chance to answer. It was not professional and is the way that all presenters on the Marr show act towards Conservative Politicians. Danny Alexander was a little bit luckier and was not interrupted quite as much though he was interrupted If that had been a Labour politician they would have been able to wax lyrical about the position they wanted to get over.

[Lord_Palmerston]

Good interview from Mair. I like Boris for the most part, but he would make an appalling leader. Just a shame Mair didn't ask Boris if he's ever taken out a superinjunction as part of what was a good journalistic going-over. Mair should be doing Question Time instead of the dotard Dimbleby.

[Jimminy Wicket]

Boris blew his chances of ever becoming PM with that interview.

It is high time a good many politicians are exposed for the shallow individuals they really are!

We seen at first hand the real Boris warts and all.

Well done Eddie Mair!

[Ricardian]

Maybe Jimminy he should interview Andy Burnham about Mid Staffs. What a good idea!!

[Jimminy Wicket]

Ricardian what is it about"It is high time a good many politicians are exposed for the shallow individuals they really are! that you do not understand?

You my friend are becoming a carbon copy of Sally Roberts!

[john parkes]

So Boris would like to be Prime Minister. I don`t think we were really in any doubt about that ambition which has been barely concealed for some time. If he is serious about it (and has there ever been any thought to the contrary?) then he has to be able to make a good case and justify his past.
This interview was but a foretaste of what would be to come and I for one would not wish to experience the toe-curling embarassment that a series of such exposures would generate, involving the Prime Minister of this country.
It simply is not good enough for someone with his approach to politics to be considered for appointment as our national representative on the world stage. We need a statesman, not a fully paid-up clown.

[ed t]

Sorry, I disagree with both Tim and most of the above comments. The points raised were all partial and unfair, and Boris's answers were limited but reasonable. After all, if you were asked whether you were having an affair point blank, wouldn't you consider that undeserving of a straight answer. It's called a 'private life' for a reason. Boris's defence to the allegations, gathered from a long and eventful career in the sphere, is to say a) they've been misrepresented, exaggerated and taken out of context, and b)nobody's perfect. Both these defences have the advantage of being plausible, and I honestly think that the man in the street rather than the party hack or groupie, will see them as reasonable and as being those of commonsense.

[James J]

Bumbling savant but a journalist so given an easy time by the media----normally

[Grumble000]

Worth a read!

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2013/mar/24/boris-johnson-gilded-reputation-lose-shine

[David J Johnson]

Great interview from Eddie Mair - about time Boris or any politician faced-up to their past exploits.

Look forward to seeing Eddie on the Andrew Mair Show again.

[Peter Stroud]

Mair dwelt on matters that happened many years ago. Matters long since drained of any importance to Boris as mayor. Frankly I found the interviewer bullying in the extreme, and seemed to me that he is a nasty piece of work. Never mind Boris being so. Once again the BBC demonstrated its leftish bias. I cannot imagine either of the Milibands or Balls being treated so harshly.

[Mason Boyne]

Mair may have dwelt on stories from the past but rolling up all three into a nice wee trifecta certainly made Boris's stammering real for a change and not a tool to diffuse the situation.

If anyone from Left, Right or Centre wants to be PM then they should be up for this type of questioning if not ? Why Not ?

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