Tory leadership favourite accused of responding to 7/7 bombings inquests with “F*ck the families” – has not denied so far
Boris Johnson has been accused, by a former Conservative colleague, of a despicable outburst against the families of those killed in the 7 July London bombings.
Brian Coleman, the former Conservative mayor of Barnet who lost his council seat in 2014 after pleading guilty to a 2012 assault and being fined £270, wrote an article this week claiming that Johnson made the alleged outburst in frustration over inquests into the deaths of fifty-two victims of the 2005 terror attack:
At a briefing meeting held in Boris’ Office in 2011 during the Inquests into the deaths of the victims of the 7/7 bombings I was telling Boris how the Fire Authority was having to spend a sizable sum on lawyers (as were the Met , TfL and everybody else involved ) not least because Mrs Justice Hallett was cutting up rough as Coroner when he suddenly said “I blame Tony Blair for all this , he started it with the Marchioness (Inquest)” Guto Harri, who was Boris’ Head of Communications and at the time absolutely devoted to Boris , said “Oh Boris they are really for the families (of the victims) benefit” To which Boris replied “Fuck the families , Fuck the families !” . I was having none of this and snapped at Boris ” You didn’t have to write eight letters of condolence to families of your constituents or attend the funeral of 31 year old Lee Baisden ( a Fire Authority employee) who had been blown to pieces at Aldgate and comfort his poor widowed Mother ” .
After this meeting the ever loyal Guto Harri rang me up and said “it never happened Brian , it never happened” . Sorry Guto it did and I have witnesses .
Boris Johnson has not replied to an enquiry asking whether he denied, or wished to comment on, Coleman’s accusation.
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