BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg claims Boris ‘looked and sounded weak’ in private meeting
PMQs: Blackford hits out at Boris Johnson over sleaze scandal
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The Prime Minister faced a busy schedule on Wednesday with three back-to-back meetings. His first port of call in the morning was a heated PMQs session, which saw Boris Johnson being pressed by Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer on the ongoing “sleaze” scandal.
In the session, Sir Keir urged Mr Johnson to “do the decent thing and just say sorry for trying to give light to corruption” in the wake of “sleaze” allegations directed towards the Conservative party.
The Tories have been subject to scrutiny after MPs voted against a 30-day suspension for fellow party MP Owen Paterson.
Their decision came despite recommendations from the MPs watchdog to grant the suspension.
Wednesday’s session of PMQs came ahead of the prime minister’s appearance in front of senior MPs on the Commons Liaison Committee in the afternoon.
The Prime Minister was subject to a two-hour grilling by commons select committee chairs at the Liaison Committee
During the session, Mr Johnson was reportedly asked repeatedly about his handling of the Tory sleaze row.
He also spoke more generally about the work of his Government.
Following this, the PM appeared in front of the 1922 Committee to face MPs from his own party in a private meeting.
This busy schedule may have impacted his presence at the latter session though, according to claims made by BBC’s political editor Laura Kuenssberg.
In a tweet, Ms Kuenssberg referred to texts from a Tory MP present at the 1922 Committee meeting.
The texts blasted the prime minister by questioning his conviction, by claiming he appeared “weak” in the private meeting.
The texts also claim that Mr Johnson’s authority was “evaporating” at the gathering of backbenchers.
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The journalist tweeted: “After PMQs, then Liaison Committee, PM then went to face his own MPs at the 1922 committee – one texts to say, he ‘looked weak and sounded weak’, ‘authority is evaporating’”.
A follower of Ms Kuenssberg with the screenname Helen Gallon replied to Ms Kuenssberg’s tweet questioning Mr Johnson’s suitability for his role as PM.
Tweeting from the account @subzeronell, the user wrote: “Man being paid six figure salary plus massive expenses and free luxe holidays can’t handle three meetings in one day?
“Unfit for office.”
Earlier this week, Ms Kuenssberg also waded in on the actions of Boris’ Government in the ongoing Tory sleaze row.
After blocking the 30-day suspension of Tory MP Owen Paterson, Mr Johnson made a U-turn on his plans following an “intense blowback”.
Laura Kuenssberg said the Prime Minister has clearly been “rattled” to act, as he published proposals to tighten up the Commons’s rules.
Writing on Twitter, Ms Kuenssberg said: “Johnson[’s] action shows the Government was rattled enough to realise it needed to act.”
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