But I hear another, more exciting plan: Johnson, below, could create a new political party to take on his enemies in the establishment, copying Emmanuel Macron’s La République En Marche! which upset France’s ruling elite in 2016. One sympathetic Conservative donor, who has given hundreds of thousands of pounds to the party, tells me he would happily back a Johnson-led political movement: “If he did, I’d support him.” A stern spokesman for Johnson says he is “prime minister until September 5. He will seriously consider his future after this point.” Johnson’s grassroots support “puts him in a very strong position,” the donor says. “Boris holds all the aces.” On the way, Boris!
Francis Urquhart’s advice
In this big Conservative conspiracy weekend, I ask House of Cards author Michael Dobbs for the wisdom of his fictional leader, Francis Urquhart, played by Ian Richardson, right. “Dear old FU wouldn’t stand a chance these days,” he tells me. “He would mutter, ‘What has happened to my party, all these candidates and not one is a man, pale and stale.’ As for advice, Urquhart would say: “Remember that politics is the second oldest profession in the world, so go and learn from the first and pretend to enjoy it while doing your duty.”
Cameron left red-faced
David Cameron has revealed he considered taking medication to stop him blushing during Prime Minister’s Questions. The former prime minister told Politico’s Westminster Insider podcast that if he was caught out “it was very obvious because I blush very easily. A doctor friend of mine said, “Maybe you should take a beta blocker before Prime Minister’s Questions.” Cameron declined the offer. “I thought this was a terrible idea. Sometimes you’re a little full of testosterone and you’re very excited. But I never tried.” Time for a nice cup of tea, Dave.
Lights! CAMERA! Hancock!
Great excitement in Westminster where former health secretary Matt Hancock wandered around followed by two cameramen. Hancock’s team is quick to reject offers that he wants to star in his own Netflix documentary. “No film, I’m afraid.” He’s just being interviewed about life as an MP. Or so he claims…
Govey heads to Ibiza
Last summer it was revived by 50-year-old cabinet minister Michael Gove’s surprise decision to go clubbing in Aberdeen. Now I hear the former Levelling-Up secretary plans to go one better this year with a holiday to Ibiza, the club’s Spanish island. “Stay tuned for more viral racist videos,” says my flip-flop source. I can not wait!
Topless Neil
An unusual artistic find in the bowels of the BBC’s Westminster headquarters: a painting, below, of a topless Andrew Neil, complete with a tattoo of a naked woman on his arm, playing chess. Neil assures me he didn’t pose for the painting. The legendary broadcaster tells me the artist – believed to be SW1-based painter Kaya Mar – had done two portraits of Neil “without me posing for him and without my approval”. He adds: “He tried to give me one and I said, ‘I don’t really want to, you just have to burn them.’
Give HM a Bafta!
Dame Maureen Lipman has asked the Queen to receive an acting award after Her Majesty stars alongside Paddington Bear as part of a short film for the Platinum Jubilee celebrations. “I will submit to Bafta that the Queen should get the best newcomer award for best performance in a short film,” Lippmann told diners during an evening with the actress at London’s Delaunay restaurant. But he admitted that the ageless Queen might be a little in the tooth for a Best Newcomer award. “It would be like giving Dolly Parton a gym bra!” he said. Peterborough, published every Friday at 7pm, is usually edited by Christopher Hope, the Telegraph’s chief political correspondent and author of the daily Chopper’s Politics newsletter. He can be contacted at [email protected]
