Sebastian Payne

Boris Johnson: ministers should be allowed to campaign for Brexit

Boris Johnson is back to his old tricks, causing headaches for David Cameron. After the Prime Minister’s confused position on whether ministers should be allowed to take part in the ‘Out’ campaign, the Mayor of London thrown a grenade at the idea that collective responsibility will hold. On his LBC phone-in this morning, Johnson said it would be ‘safer and more harmonious’ to allow ministers to campaign with their conscience:

‘I think in 1975, from memory, I think cabinet ministers were allowed to campaign against staying in and to keep their positions. It seemed to work last time …

‘Just thinking about it out loud, on the spur, of the moment, let me think: I think probably it would be safer and more harmonious just to say ‘Okay, you make your minds up’.

‘I think probably on something like this, do you really need to bind everybody in? There will be different views, get it over.

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