‘It’s the Mail wot did it’: Has Boris’s lapdog paper prompted his demise?

Boris Johnson’s future as prime minister appears to be hanging by a thread following the resignation of Rishi Sunak and Sajid Javid.

Revelations that the PM knew about investigations into Chris Pincher’s previous “inappropriate” conduct were torn to shreds today after former Foreign Office chief, Lord McDonald of Salford said he was briefed in person about the incident.

The claims first came to light in Johnson’s lapdog newspaper, the Daily Mail on Sunday.

It prompted David Yelland, the former editor of the Sun, to conclude that the front page was evidence that the newspaper had turned against the PM.

“Make no mistake”, he said, “Paul Dacre has lost the internal argument with Jonathan Rothermere… the Mail titles have today suddenly turned on Johnson.”

To paraphrase his former newspaper, if Johnson resigns, it could be the Mail wot did it.

Jack Peat

Jack is a business and economics journalist and the founder of The London Economic (TLE). He has contributed articles to VICE, Huffington Post and Independent and is a published author. Jack read History at the University of Wales, Bangor and has a Masters in Journalism from the University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne.