‘Publicity is Boris Johnson’s cocaine’, says his former deputy

‘He equates publicity with having political power, authority and respect... he needs his regular fix’

Boris Johnson needs publicity like a drug addict needs cocaine, his former deputy at the Foreign Office has claimed.

Sir Alan Duncan said that the ex-foreign secretary, who quit in July over the Chequers plan, “needs a regular fix” of headlines and equates it with political power.

Sir Alan, who remains an FCO minister, told the Spectator that he was determined that the European Research Group (ERG) of hardline Eurosceptics would not turn the Tories into “the mutant child of Ukip”.

He told the magazine when he worked under Mr Johnson he tried to stay out of the news and be loyal to him and Mrs May.

He added: “There was only room for one showman in the Foreign Office. I get on with the diplomacy.

“But for Boris? Publicity is his cocaine. He needs a regular fix.

“And he equates getting publicity with having political power and authority and respect.

“But I think what he doesn’t realise is that whereas he used to be an electoral asset, that is now waning.”

In September, Sir Alan hit out at the former foreign secretary after his comments likening the prime minister to a suicide bomber, writing on Twitter: “This marks one of the most disgusting moments in modern British politics.

“I’m sorry, but this is the political end of Boris Johnson. If it isn’t now, I will make sure it is later.”

Asked about this by the Spectator, Sir Alan admitted his remarks had been a bit over the top, but added: “We are at a very critical moment, where if we get this wrong, we have no Brexit, no government, Corbyn.

“We may even have a period of parliament finding it very difficult to get any proper government together.

“So we are on the edge of very grave danger, and we’ve got to get it right, so my view is you’ve got to be 100 per cent behind Theresa May.

“Every step the ERG has taken to box her in has weakened our negotiating position and made international observers say: Where the hell is Britain going on this? Can they deliver? Is Brexit going to happen?

“You can only get a good deal if you’ve got a united party behind the prime minister doing the negotiating.

“My concern was that Boris was limbering up to have a go at her in conference – and so, I thought, not acting in the national interest.”

Press Association