Boris Johnson spotted on run with dog as he ‘failed to tell Nadine Dorries her peerage was rejected 4 months ago’
BORIS Johnson and dog Dilyn head off after a run yesterday — as it was claimed he failed to tell Nadine Dorries her peerage nomination was rejected four months ago.
The ex-Prime Minister was informed about changes to his controversial list as far back as February contradicting claims he was unaware names were removed more recently.
The revelation follows the ex-Culture Secretary saying BoJo told her she was off to the House of Lords as she blasted Mr Sunak for “cruelly” blocking her.
Mr Johnson was given enough notice to warn MPs on his list that they would only be given a peerage if they stood down as an MP, an insider says.
A senior government source said that this was “done in time” to allow him to tell the MPs involved to quit to be considered by the House of Lords vetting panel.
They added: “Updates were provided to the former prime minister given that it was his list, and that’s the normal process.”
Ms Dorries, who grew up on a council estate in Liverpool, said she didn’t hear from the Lords’ commission or from Downing Street and said “privileged posh boys” blocked her nomination.
The controversy has deepened the on-going tension between Sunak and Mr Johnson.
Mr Sunak had claimed that Mr Johnson had asked him to ignore the recommendations from the vetting body which was “something I wasn’t prepared to do”.
Mr Johnson said Sunak was “talking rubbish” and just needed to renew the vetting procedure.
The former PM, quit Parliament ahead of the Privileges Committee report which is expected to show he deliberately misled MPs over the Partygate scandal. Their report is due in the coming days.
His departure triggered a by-election in his west London seat along with ballots in Dorries’ Mid Bedfordshire constituency and Nigel Adams Selby, north Yorkshire, seat.
Sir Keir Starmer yesterday said there was “certainly evidence of chaos” in Tory ranks and their departures were “essentially political tantrums”.
Mr Johnson’s office has been approached for comment.