Labour MP Jess Philips Calls Out Boris Johnson Over Police Row

23 June 2019, 16:25

Jess Philips was critical of the Tory leadership candidate for not taking the opportunity to praise his neighbours for being concerned over his partner's safety after a row resulted in the police being called to his home.

The contender to succeed Theresa May as Prime Minister made headlines when police were called out to the flat he shares with is partner after a neighbour raised "concerns for the welfare" of a woman.

But when pressed on the incident at the first Conservative Party hustings event, Mr Johnson avoided the question and said people did not "want to hear about that kind of thing".

Speaking to Ayesha Hazarika on LBC, Labour MP Jess Philips said that the former Foreign Secretary had missed an opportunity to put the safety of women above himself.

"Boris Johnson had the opportunity to give an explanation and to say to the nation that it was the right thing for the neighbours to call the police and the right thing for them to try to gather evidence," she said.

"This is what everyone should do.

"But instead his very poor character has picked himself over the safety of women in this country, and the line that he is putting out is that this is a private family matter.

"Those of us who have campaigned for years have tried to move that dial, and he is taking us back and that is dangerous."

Watch in full above.