Boris Johnson’s former mistress Petronella Wyatt yesterday said the optimistic prime minister would not quit despite the crisis gripping him.
Ms Wyatt, who had an affair with him between 2000 and 2004, insisted the prospect of Boris simply resigning is ‘just as likely as Putin to pull Ukraine out saying it had all been a terrible mistake’.
Speaking at her home in St John’s Wood, London, Ms Wyatt predicted the stubborn prime minister would dig his heels in and fill his cabinet with yes men and women, insisting his ego wouldn’t let him out of number 10 without a fight. .
The former deputy editor of The Spectator, who became pregnant with his child and had an abortion during their affair, said his stay in Downing Street would be his first priority.
“Boris has undeniable talent and charisma, but he is sadly devoid of humility or a shrewd grasp of the realities of a modern democracy.”
She revealed a former Tory minister phoned her last night with the prediction that Boris would be gone by the end of the week.
But she said: ‘Knowing Boris as well as I do, I couldn’t agree. Boris’ obsession with his own divine right will tear his party apart and cause collateral damage to the country.
Boris Johnson’s former mistress Petronella Wyatt (pictured) has said the Prime Minister’s bullish ego will not allow him to walk out of Number 10 without a fight despite the crisis engulfing him
Boris Johnson pictured dealing with a torrent of questions and criticism from MPs during PMQs
Boris Johnson and Petronella Wyatt are pictured at the Spectator Magazine Summer Party at the Doughty Street Spectator Offices – July 06, 2006
Last night the Prime Minister’s father, Stanley Johnson, told MailOnline that his son had been worthy of his role because he had completed the task of delivering Brexit.
But Ms Wyatt, 54, has torn apart Boris’ right to claim he orchestrated Britain’s departure from the EU.
“Boris’ remaining supporters can only repeat the mantra that ‘he got Brexit done’. That’s debatable in itself. Dominic Cummings, was the mastermind behind that achievement.
“But even if it were true, Boris failed to capitalize on it. He won an impressive 80-seat majority over Jeremy Corbyn – he’s not an impressive foe, mind you – and one can’t help but think he wasted it.
Ms Wyatt, clearly still angry at her relationship with Boris, added: ‘The unpleasant truth is that Boris and Putin share similarities. Johnson’s instincts are those of the dictator.
“He once told me that he idolized medieval kings because they didn’t have ‘voters to worry about’ and had ‘free pass to do whatever they wanted’.
“In Boris’ universe, he is king, not prime minister. ‘
She said the appointment of Rishi Sunak and Sajid Javid as chancellor and health secretary was ‘because they were ‘yeses’.
“He dislikes cabinet government and is pathologically intolerant of competition and has from the start appointed yes men and nodding puppets.
“He would have been shocked that they no longer agreed with him. He cannot accept unpleasant truths.
“Had he possessed a strategy or beliefs beyond the belief that he should be in Downing Street, he might have got away with it.
“It is unfortunate that he has no convictions, that he has always sought to avoid hard work and that he is bored in the details.
“If a Prime Minister refuses to delegate, he must, like Margaret Thatcher for example, devote himself to the task.
“He devoted himself to long stays at Checkers, starting a new family and playing the international statesman.
“He lacks the essential gifts of self-knowledge and truthfulness.
Johnson pictured alongside Wyatt in London in 2004
The former deputy editor of The Spectator, who became pregnant with his child and had an abortion during their affair, said staying in Downing Street would be Boris’ top priority.
“Boris is the best liar we’ve ever had as Prime Minister and has managed to perpetuate the idea that all politicians lie, so he’s no worse than the next one.
‘That duck was unforgivable. My father, Woodrow Wyatt, was a politician for forty years and Margaret Thatcher and members of her cabinet were frequent guests at our house.
“They didn’t lie, although sometimes obfuscation is a necessary part of a politician’s arsenal. Thatcher, who had impeccable probity, would be horrified by Boris, not just the man, but his determination to cling ungraciously to office at the expense of the country.
She said the man she knew would likely invest all available resources in Number 10 to save his job as prime minister.
“It’s bad new politics and suggests complete disregard for the electorate.
“Boris’ special qualities once allowed him to emerge as a great populist politician.
“But even Tory voters have become aware of the unmistakable and unpleasant fact that the Prime Minister does not care about their interests.”
In a revelation that is almost certain to drive away more Tory supporters, she claimed that during their relationship Boris had a clear disdain for party voters.
Wyatt is pictured on Good Morning Britain last month amid the vote of confidence in Boris’ leadership
Boris barks at MPs in the House of Commons today
She said: ‘I even remember him telling me once that most Tory voters were ‘morons’ and ‘not worth caring about’.
“These sentiments were also extended to Tory MPs. Boris thinks he has an intellectual capacity of 10 gallons, but considers the intelligence of most of his colleagues to be comparable to that of invertebrates.
“I was appalled at his tenure as Foreign Secretary and I remember there were complaints that he had not read his memoirs and refused to listen to those who were better informed.
“At the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, blunders can be concealed. When you are prime minister, you have nowhere to hide.
“His refusal to heed the advice resulted in the departure of Number 10 from all relevant employees. For the past year, the nation has been ruled by a group of young men and women with no political qualifications except that of sycophancy. This is a bad prospect for the country. We deserve better than that. But as far as Boris is concerned, he’s not going anywhere. And if his entire cabinet resigned, he would simply appoint a new one.
She has called for her immediate resignation from Downing Street.
“He should leave now, with dignity. It would be the greatest service he could render to his country. But I’m not holding my breath.
