Elliott Johnson: Family of young Conservative who killed himself says police report is being 'twisted'

Elliott Johnson's suicide allegedly followed bullying by other Conservative activists

Elliott Johnson

The parents of Elliott Johnson, the young Conservative party activist who committed suicide in September 2015, have said that a police report into his death is being ‘twisted’ to divert attention from bullying allegations.

The family of Elliott Johnson believes that he committed suicide aged 21 because of alleged bullying by Conservative party members.

Ray Johnson, Elliott’s father, claims that there had been attempts to draw a link with Elliott’s suicide and his sexuality and relationship with his family.

However, speaking to the Guardian, Mr Johnson denied that this had ever been the case.

He said: “The past history was five or six years prior. Since those instances, he’d gone on to university and there were no further instances, no further issues with regards to mental health.”

“He had matured. He was a young man. He’d moved on. He was looking forward to his life as a political journalist. I think what happened in September was completely unrelated to what happened five or six years earlier.”

The Johnson family released Elliott’s suicide note in order to reaffirm that he had not killed himself because of these issues.

“Some reports said Elliott made reference to his sexuality in the note. I can tell you there is no reference whatsoever to Elliott’s sexuality in his suicide note. Not one reference. That’s a complete fabrication,” Mr Johnson said to the Guardian.

“Another allegation is that the police report says we’d rowed with Elliott – that is not in the police report. Someone has taken the report and twisted it to suit their own objectives.”

Mr Johnson said to the Mail on Sunday that "‘There is only one place to look for the real blame: the Conservative Party."

Elliott’s note, published in the Mail on Sunday, references two Conservative activists, Mark Clarke and Andre Walker. Elliott wrote that they had “bullied” and “betrayed” him.

He also wrote of worries regarding his career.

Following complaints about his behaviour following the death of Elliott, Mr Clarke, Tory activist and so-called the ‘Tatler Tory’ was banned for life from the Conservative party.

The pair had been covertly recorded by Elliot speaking to him aggressively in a pub in south London.

Mark Clark and Andre Walker have denied bullying Elliott.

The Samaritans can be contacted on 116 123.