With Boris Johnson forced to resign amid a seemingly never-ending saga of incidents that cast doubt on his personal integrity, a senior Tory MP has warned that “scandal now has currency in the upcoming leadership election”. As a result, at least two rival election campaign groups are said to have handed the Labor party digital files full of allegations against their potential opponents, according to the Sunday Times – allegedly even targeting candidates’ staff. The files reportedly include allegations of extramarital affairs and the use of tax evasion, illegal drugs and prostitutes, with at least one private investigator hired to look into the financial arrangements of some candidates. “There are widely circulated rumors of candidates involved in slavery, domination and bdsm, allegations of inappropriate relationships and compromising photographs that could be used as compromise,” a senior Tory Party source told the paper. “It has even been claimed that one of the candidates is asking staff to hand him his government documents while they are in the bathroom.” Boris Johnson announced he will step down on Thursday, opening the door to potential successors (PA) There are growing fears that this could set the stage for a particularly dirty campaign as candidates seek to strike back at their rivals. “Everyone is desperate for this sordid period in our party’s history to end and to elect a new leader with bags of integrity who can draw a line under this disastrous episode,” a senior Tory MP told the paper. “But it means the scandal now has currency in the upcoming leadership election, which will likely make this the dirtiest campaign in history.” While there is currently no public evidence to support such claims, it is suggested that details of the claims could soon enter the public domain given the likely fast-paced nature of the Tory leadership contest. The race typically spans weeks, but the ruling 1922 Committee of Conservative MPs is expected to announce a smaller schedule amid concerns of a leadership vacuum as the country grapples with the cost-of-living crisis and Russia’s war in Ukraine. “The candidates will only have a few days to make their mark,” another Tory MP told the Sunday Times. “The gloves should be gone very quickly.” With former health secretaries Sajid Javid and Jeremy Hunt among another wave of Tory MPs throwing their hat into the ring on Saturday, The Independent has compiled a list of those who have announced bids so far.
