Dominic Cummings says Boris Johnson was obsessed with monuments to himself ‘like Roman emperors’

[ad_1]

Dominic Cummings says Boris Johnson is obsessed with relics in his memory “like Roman emperors” – describing how it is his “duty” to get rid of them.

In his latest attack on the prime minister, the former chief aide said he was only excited by “Big Ben’s guns” and “look at maps” to find places to build things in his honor.

Cummings described his campaign to oust Johnson as “an unpleasant but necessary job” as “repairing banks”, calling it “complete wit”.

The couple’s bitter fallout saw the exiled aide reveal for the first time the lockdown-busting No. 10 garden party, in May 2020, that pushed the prime minister into his biggest crisis.

Speaking to New York Magazine, Mr. Cummings described his former boss’s focus on the next day’s papers, saying: “In January 2020, I was sitting 10th with Boris, full shit shrugging off: ‘Is Big Ben Pong for Brexit on January 31’? ? “

On another occasion, he claimed, Mr. Johnson said to him: “I am the unjust king here and I will do as I please.”

“It’s no good. He’s not the king. He can’t do what he wants,” Cummings said, adding, “Once you realize someone is doing this way, your duty is to get rid of them, not just support them.”

The prime minister asks, “What would a Roman emperor do?” He told the magazine that he had the power he had.

“So the only thing he was really interested in — really excited about — was, like, looking at maps. Where could he order things to be built?” said Mr. Cummings.

He was fantasizing about his “Augustinian-style memorials,” I’ll save the money. I will be a river for my people. I’ll save money building a train station in Birmingham. or whatever.

“And it will have statues of me, and people will remember me after my death as the Roman emperors did.”

The warning comes amid fears – even among senior Conservative MPs – of a “party gateway” cover-up, amid a growing belief that important parts of Sue Gray’s investigation will never be revealed.

A heavily revised draft of the civil servant’s report will be released, likely on Monday, but with reference to parties being investigated by police, it was crossed out after police requested it.

By the time the Met investigation is over, Gray’s report will be “out of date”, a government insider said – and it will be up to Mr Johnson to decide not to investigate further.

Tory MPs who are reluctant to make demands for a vote of no confidence in his leadership, while “waiting for Sue Gray”, will likely continue to sit on their hands.

[ad_2]