Top News
Next Story
NewsPoint

Eight key bombshells and bizarre claims in Boris Johnson's tell-all memoir Unleashed

Send Push

Shameless former Prime Minister today launches his self-serving memoir in a desperate bid to rehabilitate his image.

The , who quit as an MP before he could be handed a hefty punishment for misleading Parliament, hasn't ruled out a return to frontline politics. New book Unleashed sees him whine about the treatment he received when he was axed by his own MPs.

Mr Johnson, who unwisely pitched in on the , makes a string of bizarre claims. He also rowed back on his Partygate apology - a move that will undoubtedly anger millions who stuck to the rules during the Covid crisis.

He goes on to deliver childish jibes at Emmanuel Macron, Keir Starmer and and claim the late Queen was suffering from bone cancer before her death. Mr Johnson also claimed he sprung into action to deliver a "manly pep talk" to Prince Harry to try stop him quitting royal duties - but to no avail.

Here we look at some of the key things we learned from Mr Johnson's book.

image Taking back apology over Partygate

The former PM who was found to have misled Parliament uses his memoir to recract his apology over the Partygate scandal that destablised his premiership.

He claims it was a "mistake" in offering a "pathetic" and "grovelling" statements over parties in Downing Street and says it "made it look as though we were far more culpable than we were”.

Shortly after quitting as an MP in 2023, a major probe by the Commons Privileges Committee . It said he was "deliberately disingenuous" in trying to reframe his statements - and attempting to come up with excuses to justify the parties.

Raiding Netherlands warehouse for Covid vaccines

In perhaps one of the most bizarre moments in his new book, the former PM claims he warehouse to retrieve Covid vaccine supplies.

Mr Johnson convened a meeting of senior military officials in March 2021 to discuss the idea which he freely admits in Unleashed were "nuts". An extract of the book claims the then-PM was told the plan was "certainly feasible", using rigid inflatable boats to navigate Dutch canals. "They would then rendezvous at the -target; enter; secure the -hostage goods, exfiltrate using an articulated lorry, and make their way to the Channel ports," Mr Johnson wrote.

But one senior official told him it would mean the UK would "have to explain why we are effectively invading a long-standing Nato ally".

image Strange ramble about Theresa May's nostrils

There was no love lost between Mr Johnson and his predecessor, who frequently made life tough for him in No10 by pointing out his flaws.

In the book he outlines an odd fixation he developed. He wrote about Mrs May's “schoolmarmy self-righteousness” and said she would “roll her eyes” when he spoke.

But he went on to highlight her “long and pointy black” nostrils. The petty former PM wrote: “Like a Gerald Scarfe cartoon, and the way she would twist her nose, as if to show them off.”

Queen was 'suffering from bone cancer'

The ex-PM claims in his book that Queen Elizabeth, whose official death certificate listed "old age" as the cause of death, was

During their final ever meeting at Balmoral, Mr Johnson said the late Queen appeared pale with bruising on her hands - but insisted she was "unimpaired by her illness". Appearing to break convention, Mr Johnson also uses the book to reveal the advice the monarch gave to him on the day he formally resigned as PM.

image

He says: "She was surprised by the general lack of bitterness, given what had happened at Westminster, but she approved. 'There's no point in bitterness,' she said, and amen to that. If everyone in politics - and life - could see that as clearly as she did, the would be a much, much happier place."

'Manly pep talk' with Prince Harry

Johnson also dives into a "hopeless" conversation he had with in a last-ditch attempt to persuade the royal not to flee to the United States.

Senior officials from Whitehall and the Royal household reportedly asked Mr Johnson to give the a "manly pep talk" in January 2020 as the Duke considered leaving the UK - a place where he has voiced concerns about invasions of his privacy and attacks he and his wife, Meghan.

The ex-PM said it was "a ridiculous business ... when they made me try to persuade Harry to stay. Kind of manly pep talk. Totally hopeless", according to the Daily Mail's serialisation of Mr Johnson's memoir.

image Bugging device in bathroom after Netanyahu visit

Strange one this. Mr Johnson alleged that a bugging device was found in his bathroom after a visit by . He claimed his security team had made the discovery when it did a sweep of the toilets after the PM used them during a meeting in 2017.

He claimed Mr Netanyahu had excused himself during talks at his office when he was Foreign Secretary to use the "secret annex… a bit like the gents in a posh London club". Mr Johnson wrote: “Thither Bibi repaired for a while, and it may or may not be a coincidence but I am told that later, when they were doing a regular sweep for bugs, they found a listening device in the thunderbox."

Starmer 'like a bullock with a thermometer in its rectum'

In another unprofessional jibe at , who had the last laugh, Mr Johnson said his “irritable face” was “like a bullock having a thermometer unexpectedly shoved in its rectum”.

He made the remark when describing a debate during the Covid crisis in 2020, when they clashed at over reopening schools. Mr Johnson claimed his opponent was unable to say schools were safe as it would “go against his masters in the teaching unions”.

Sly dig at French President Macron

Mr Johnson launched an astonishing tirade against French President Emmanuel Macron, accusing him of "weaponising" the small boats crisis in revenge for Brexit.

The shamed former Prime Minister lashed out at Mr Macron, who he claimed "would not hesitate to put his Cuban-heeled bootee into Britain". In an extract from his memoir, Mr Johnson whined that he thought Britain should be "punished" over Brexit.

In the book he wrote that Mr Macron was "personally charming", but added, "he really meant it when he said that Brexit Britain must be punished". He went on to accuse the French President of being a "positive nuisance".

He also claimed that the French President had shot down the suggestion of a road link between Britain and France. Mr Johnson went on to describe his petty joy at making Mr Macron "eat the carpet" after reaching an agreement with to equip with new submarines. This scuppered a French agreement to supply vessels to Australia, he wrote.

READ MORE:

Explore more on Newspoint
Loving Newspoint? Download the app now