Boris Johnson pulls out of another BBC interview on day before election

‘No reason was given,’ says Jeremy Vine

Boris Johnson has ducked out of another high-profile interview as the general election vote looms, it has been claimed.

The prime minister’s team had told BBC Radio 2 he would “very likely” sit for an interview with Jeremy Vine, but on Wednesday backed away from the idea, the broadcaster said in a tweet.

Mr Vine tweeted: “Boris Johnson has refused to follow the other six leaders who have taken part in the leader interviews @BBCRadio2.

“His staff constantly told my producers – until this morning – that he was ‘very likely’ to come on. Today we were told he couldn’t, and no reason was given.”

The claim came less than a week after Mr Johnson was lambasted live on air by Andrew Neil, the BBC’s attack-dog interviewer who he had snubbed previously.

Mr Neil told viewers in a closing monologue, having just interviewed Nigel Farage, that he had a list of questions “oven-ready” for the PM if only he would dare face them.

“The theme running through our questions is trust,” the presenter said. “And why, so many times in his career in politics and journalism, critics and sometimes even those close to him have deemed him to be untrustworthy. It is of course relevant to what he is promising us all now.”

On Wednesday, Mr Johnson appeared to take refuge inside a large fridge as he was peppered with questions by reporters at a campaign event.

The PM has made a number of media appearances during the campaign, including in a head-to-head contest with Jeremy Corbyn and a Question Time event with members of the public.

The Independent has contacted the Conservative Party for comment.

The BBC declined to comment.