WATCH: Boris Johnson says it is 'unfair' to 'drag' loved ones into politics amid flat row scrutiny
3 min read
Boris Johnson has said it is "simply unfair" to "drag" his loved ones into politics amid intense scrutiny of a row at the flat he shares with his partner.
The Conservative leadership frontrunner has faced days of questions after police were called to the South London property following a noisy altercation between him and Carried Symonds in the early hours of Friday morning.
But, asked by the BBC's Laura Kuennesberg to explain what had happened at the flat, he said: "I... would love to tell you about all sorts of things Laura, but I've made it a rule over many, many years and I think you've interviewed me loads of times, I do not talk about stuff involving my family, my loved ones.
"And there's a very good reason for that. That is that, if you do, you drag them into things that, really, is, in a way that is not fair on them."
The former Foreign Secretary was then asked whether his privacy meant more to him than the need to build public trust.
He replied: "I totally get that. But my key point though is that the minute you start talking about your family or your loved ones, you involve them in a debate that is it is simply unfair on them."
He was also pressed on whether he was "trying to have this both ways" after pictures of the couple holding hands were released to the media on Monday, amid speculation that they had been staged by the former mayor of London's campaign team.
He said: "Look, I repeat my my key point too which is that over many, many years - and you can look back at innumerable statements I gave when I was mayor - I just do not go into this stuff, and there's a good reason for it.
"But it's actually I think what people want to know is what is going on with this guy? Does he, does he, when it comes to trust, when it comes to character, all those things, does he deliver what he says he's going to deliver? And that is the key thing."
The Conservative leadership hopeful's interview with the BBC comes after a weekend of scrutiny over the incident at the flat in Camberwell, south London.
In a recording obtained by The Guardian, his partner Carrie Symonds was heard telling the MP to "get off me" and "get out of my flat".
Mr Johnson could meanwhile be heard shouting "get off my fucking laptop" at Ms Symonds before there is a loud noise.
The Metropolitan Police confirmed it had responded to a call from a resident "concerned for the welfare of a female neighbour" but after speaking to the flat's occupants had found "no offences or concerns apparent" and "no cause for police action".
Although Mr Johnson's leadership rival Jeremy Hunt has stopped short of directly commenting on the issue, he has dubbed the frontrunner a "bottler" for refusing to take part in a live TV debate and face public scrutiny.
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