Theresa May threatens to exterminate Boris Johnson in brutal public slap down
Prime Minister was speaking at a boozy knees up organised by the Spectator
THERESA May threatened to exterminate Boris Johnson in a brutal public slap down of the Foreign Secretary in an astonishing evening of score settling by senior Tories.
The PM was receiving a gong for Politician of the Year at a boozy knees up organised by the Spectator.
But the night will go down in Westminster history because of the brutal gags deployed by Mrs May at her own side.
Tory Ministers at the posh Rosewood Hotel in Central London were left gobsmacked after the PM launched a full on blitz on her own Cabinet, the ex-Chancellor and David Cameron’s former spin chief Sir Craig Oliver.
Wearing a high-vis jacket she accepted her award from George Osborne who hosted the bash.
Mrs May even donned a hard had in an unsubtle dig at the former Chancellor who was frequently photographed on building sites and in factories.
Mrs May brutally fired Mr Osborne in a short meeting immediately after she entered No10 for the first time in July.
Hinting at bad blood, Mr Osborne quipped: “There won’t be much time for chit chat, a bit like when Theresa and I last spoke.”
Boris Johnson was given a gong for “comeback of the year” after crashing out of the Tory leadership election but returning as Foreign Secretary two weeks later.
During his acceptance speech BoJo said he hope his come back would last longer than Lord Heseltine’s mother’s dog, Kim, which was reportedly throttled.
“Like the faithful Alsatian belonging to Michael Heseltine, there have been moments since June 23, when in those very grim days after June 23, I genuinely feared that I might be strangled by a crazed, pop-eyed Europhile Remainer and like Kim the Alsatian therefore I am absolutely thrilled to have had this reprieve.”
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But taking to the stage as “Politician of the Year” the PM hit back saying: “Boris, the dog was put down... when its master decided it wasn’t needed any more.”
The powerful hint that he could be sacked came after Boris gaffed by saying Britain will make a “Titanic” success of Brexit.
When ex-chancellor George Osborne pointed out that “the Titanic sank”, the Foreign Secretary changed his mind and went with “colossal” instead, prompting riotous laughter from the audience.
And it was not only Boris who was the butt of Mrs May’s brutal jokes.
She also targeted Sir Craig Oliver the former No10 spin doctor who was knighted in David Cameron’s controversial resignation honours list.
In his recently published diaries Sir Craig claimed he vomited when the Brexit result came through in June.
Mrs May told the party goers: “ I have to say I think we all know that feeling – most of us experienced it too when we saw his name on the resignation honours list.”
Last night George Osborne hit back at the jokes by tweeting a picture of him wearing a hard hat, adding “back with its rightful owner.”