A major Tory donor said Boris Johnson should take personal responsibility and “leave” in another blow for the Conservative leader, as he prepares for another grilling at prime minister’s questions.
Banker John Armitage invested more than £3 million in the party but said the Tory chief needs to take “personal responsibility” for his lockdown breaches.
It comes as further pressure mounts on the prime minister over his Jimmy Savile slur against Sir Keir Starmer last Monday.
The Labour leader was swarmed by protesters who repeated false accusations he had failed to pursue the notorious paedophile when he headed up the crown prosecution service.
I find the lack of honour inherent in modern politics incredibly distressing.”
– Banker John Armitage.
Mr Johnson has repeatedly refused to apologise for the remark despite calls from party backbenchers to withdraw it.
It’s expected rivals will grill him over the claim in the House of Commons today during PMQs.
‘Weaponising conspiracy theories’
Nicola Sturgeon claimed Mr Johnson was “weaponising online conspiracy theories” with the jibe.
Demands from Mr Armitage for the Tory boss to step down were yet another blow after several senior advisers resigned last week.
The financier told the BBC: “I feel politicians should go into politics to do good for their country. That is the overwhelming reason to be in politics.
“I don’t think it’s about your own personal sense of getting to the top of a snakes and ladders game.
“If you lose moral authority and do something or say something which on the front page looks terrible, and you do that consistently, and you betray a sense of not really caring, I think you should leave.
‘Personal responsibility’
“I find the lack of honour inherent in modern politics incredibly distressing.”
He added: “I don’t know people in Downing Street, I’m not close to the situation.
“But if I’m failing, if I’ve done a few things wrong, what about a sense of personal responsibility? ‘I’m going to change my chief of staff and it’ll all be fine’. Really?”
Mr Armitage, who founded hedge fund firm Egerton Capital, has also given small past donations to the Labour Party and to the Remain campaign during the 2016 Brexit vote.
But he has also given over £500,000 to the Tories since Boris Johnson became Prime Minister in 2019.
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