Cameron keeps Johnson campaign at arms-length
Monday, 7 April 2008 12:00 AM
David Cameron was at pains to explain the distance between the national Conservative party and Boris Johnson's mayoral campaign today.
The Tory leader told reporters in his monthly press conference he believes it is important Mr Johnson, who currently has a strong lead in the polls against incumbent Ken Livingstone, makes his own policies as mayor.
"I don't tell him what to do, I'm not rigging his policies, I'm not telling him what his policies should be as mayor - that's for him to decide," the Guardian quoted him as saying.
"Boris and his team will have lots of help from me and my team but it is very important that it's his manifesto, his policies and his mayoralty."
Mr Johnson's flamboyant character has previously seen him forced to adopt a "global itinerary of apology" in response to a series of hastily-retracted remarks.
His front-bench job under Michael Howard's leadership was placed under jeopardy when he was forced to apologise to the city of Liverpool.
Mr Johnson said sorry after accusing Liverpudlians of wallowing in their "victim status" and was eventually sacked after failing to answer allegations about an affair with a colleague at the Spectator newspaper.
Despite these problems the 13-point lead awarded to Mr Johnson by today's YouGov poll for the Evening Standard suggests his career is now in the ascendancy once again.
Mr Cameron added: "I think Boris will do an extremely good job as mayor which is why I'm giving him so much support."
Newsletter sign up