Boris Johnson has branded claims of links to a far-right former aide to Donald Trump “codswallop.”
It follows footage of ex-White House strategist Steve Bannon claiming he had helped Johnson with a major speech on Brexit .
he had talked to the Tory MP "all weekend" and "gone back and forth on text" after Mr Johnson resigned as Foreign Secretary in July last year.
The hard-right provocateur alleged he gave the MP "recommendations", including to echo his language from the 2016 EU referendum, and even complimented his book on Winston Churchill.
But speaking to LBC’s Nick Ferrari, Johnson branded the claim “codswallop”.
Asked how much influence Bannon was having on his campaign, he said: “This is the biggest load of codswallop I have ever heard.”
He denied Bannon texted him regularly, giving him advice.
“Complete codswallop,” he said. “I met Mr Bannon in the White House when he was Chief of Staff to the President, as you would expect, in the course of my duties as Foreign Secretary.”
Bannon was never Chief of Staff to the President. He was White House Chief Strategist and Senior Counsellor to the President.
Johnson continued: “It is perfectly true that when the President came to this country last year…Steve Bannon texted me on a couple of occasions trying to fix a meeting. I texted back to say that meeting was not possible.”
Asked why he declined the meeting, he said: “Well, I can’t remember. I was doing other things. I’m afraid I was otherwise occupied.
“That is the sum total, and yet this is turned by people who wish to stop me from achieving what I want to achieve into some crazy kind of alt-right conspiracy involving me and Steve Bannon.”
.jpg?w=600)
