Boris Johnson’s father: Mair interview ‘disgusting’

A BBC interview that saw Boris Johnson accused of being a “nasty piece of work” was branded a “disgusting piece of journalism” by the Mayor of London’s father this morning.

Stanley Johnson said he “felt great anger” towards broadcaster Eddie Mair, who was standing in as presenter on the Andrew Marr Show, for the way he had treated his son in the interview, which has since been dubbed a “bike crash” by pundits.

During the uncomfortable 15-minute exchange yesterday, the Mayor was grilled over matters of “integrity”, including suggestions he had lied about having an extra-marital affair.

Mr Johnson said his son had been openly abused on the flagship political programme and claimed the BBC had “sank about as low as it could”.

“I thought Eddie Mair’s interview was about the most disgusting piece of journalism I’ve listened to for a very long time,” he told Nick Ferrari on LBC 97.3.

“The BBC sank about as low as it could. If grilling people about their private lives, accusing them of guilt by association and openly abusing them is a legitimate interview, then frankly, I don’t know where we are coming.”

During the broadcast the Mayor was pressed over whether he lied to Tory leader Michael Howard about allegations of an affair in 2004 - which resulted in his resignation as shadow arts minister - as well as claims he was sacked from The Times more than two decades ago for making up a quote.

Insisting that he was talking about “integrity”, Mr Mair turned to a 1990 telephone conversation Mr Johnson had with one of his friends who was demanding the private address of a News of the World journalist. A recording of the call suggested Mr Johnson had agreed to supply the details, even though his friend indicated he wanted to have the reporter beaten up for smearing his family.

Mr Johnson stressed that “nothing eventuated” from the conversation, adding: “I think if any of us had our phone conversations bugged people say all sorts of fantastical things whilst talking to their friends.”

Mr Mair said: “You are a nasty bit of work, aren’t you?”

“All three things I would dispute... if we had a longer time I could explain that I think all three interpretations you are putting on these things are not wholly fair,” an exasperated Mr Johnson replied.

Stanley Johnson said his son had been told the interview would focus on issues that affect London.

He added: “Instead, he dug up totally irrelevant things, totally irrelevant, which had been dealt with ages and ages ago and as soon as Boris wanted to explain them, he moved on and, by the way, by the way, there is such a thing, I would have thought, as essential respect.

“If you don’t respect the man, at least you should respect the office and to say as he said and as you repeated, that he thought that Boris was a nasty piece of work, well honestly, honestly. I don’t know where Eddie Mair’s politics come from, but I suspect he would not have treated the leader of the Labour Party in that way.”

He added: “l I felt great anger at this man. I have no idea who Eddie Mair is or what he does, but frankly, as I said a moment ago, there is such a thing as respecting the office, even if you don’t respect the man and that did not come through.”

Asked if the interview had dented the possibility of the Mayor leading the Conservative Party or being Prime Minister, Stanley Johnson replied: “The situation, as I see it, and I said it this evening on the interview, Boris is clearly a political figure in this country. From my point of view, he is not the only Conservative political figure, but it seems to me perfectly legitimate that he should, in due course, have a chance to put his hat in the ring or, as he put it, pick up the ball if it comes loose from the scrum.

“That, I think, would be a fair appreciation of the current situation. Whether or not he goes further, in the sense of leadership of the party, whether the Tories come into the next election and win it and later after that, who can tell? Who can tell?

“Those are distant dreams but, at the moment, he is where he is and he’s doing a good job.”

The row comes ahead of a documentary on the Mayor’s life and career, Boris Johnson: The Irresistible Rise, airs tonight at 9pm.