The furore sparked after police visited the home of Boris Johnson and his partner Carrie Symonds has spilled into a new week, with many national papers leading on calls for the potential prime minister to “come clean”.
The Guardian, the paper which first broke the story, says Johnson must answer questions about the incident, saying such scrutiny “is not only appropriate. It is necessary”.
Guardian front page, Monday 24 June 2019: Hunt piles pressure on Johnson over police visit pic.twitter.com/NntWMrOFd6
— Guardian news (@guardiannews) June 23, 2019
The Express says that senior Conservatives have “piled pressure on Boris Johnson to come clean about the screaming row”.
EXPRESS: Pressure on Boris to come clean #tomorrowspaperstoday pic.twitter.com/GQn9pMVzlZ
— Neil Henderson (@hendopolis) June 23, 2019
The i says it is not only Johnson’s opponents, but also his supporters who are demanding “a “full explanation after Tory frontrunner ducks questions about incident”.
I: Johnson urged to deal with domestic row #tomorrowspaperstoday pic.twitter.com/AAJCthSgm0
— Neil Henderson (@hendopolis) June 23, 2019
The Daily Mail is more sympathetic to the Tory candidate, claiming he and Symonds have been driven out of their home and “can’t return as flat is targeted by protests”.
The Mail says Johnson’s “latest imbroglio” has “all the hallmarks of a stitch-up”. But the paper says he “can’t let it fester”, adding: “The story is out there and millions are talking about it.
“It doesn’t need to be a soul-baring confessional. Just something to put the episode in its proper context. But until this controversy is settled, he will find it difficult to move on, not least because every interviewer will raise it until the election is over.”
Monday's @DailyMailUK #MailFrontPages pic.twitter.com/8RSGwEy8vM
— Daily Mail U.K. (@DailyMailUK) June 23, 2019
The Telegraph is similarly in Johnson’s corner, running a write-off of his weekly column as its lead story: “Boris: I won’t bottle Brexit”.
The front page of tomorrow’s Daily Telegraph: ‘Boris: I won’t bottle Brexit’ #tomorrowspaperstoday pic.twitter.com/nLw822zSXE
— The Telegraph (@Telegraph) June 23, 2019
The Times voices sympathy for Johnson, saying such relationship difficulties are “never easy” and he is “negotiating his in the public spotlight”. But the paper says it was fair of his rival, Jeremy Hunt, to say that a candidate for prime minister “should answer questions on everything”.
TIMES: Johnson is a coward, says Hunt #tomorrowspaperstoday pic.twitter.com/36W3OgR4Vm
— Neil Henderson (@hendopolis) June 23, 2019
“Mr Johnson should acknowledge that a potential prime minister will be scrutinised in personal as well as political life,” the paper continues. “Even so, provided Mr Johnson can answer those questions, Conservative MPs should be sympathetic to an aspirant leader who is mired in domestic turmoil. Break-ups happen. Voters are unlikely to be censorious. Prime ministers need not be perfect; they do need to be assiduous and competent.”
The Sun says Johnson should “nip it in the bud” as staying silent benefits those who want to “bring him down”. Its lead story is one from anonymous friends of the couple who say the fight on the weekend was the fourth in six weeks.
Tomorrow's front page: Boris Johnson and Carrie Symonds have been rocked by four explosive rows in six weeks https://t.co/mkvfx5c9Tv pic.twitter.com/GjRZmIsF0k
— The Sun (@TheSun) June 23, 2019
The Mirror has its own anonymous “pals” and the paper reports they say that “Boris ‘wants to get back with his wife’”.
Tomorrow's front page: Boris 'wants to get back with his wife'#tomorrowspaperstoday https://t.co/etc57wcJUT pic.twitter.com/cTVYbapjGQ
— Daily Mirror (@DailyMirror) June 23, 2019
The FT, the only paper not to splash on Boris Johnson today, leads with: “Lloyds froze 8,000 accounts amid offshore dirty-money crackdown”.
FT: Lloyds froze 8000 accounts amid offshore dirty money crackdown #tomorrowspaperstoday pic.twitter.com/HYapj7DJLZ
— Neil Henderson (@hendopolis) June 23, 2019
