Boris Johnson snubs treacherous Michael Gove’s olive branch with stony silence in awkward meeting
Sources said Boris 'could barely bring himself to look at' his former ally
BORIS Johnson snubbed a bid by Michael Gove to mend fences after his spectacular betrayal of his fellow Brexiteer, it was revealed today.
Former Justice Secretary Mr Gove tried to explain his decision to knife his Vote Leave ally in order to pursue his own prime ministerial ambitions.
Sources close to the pair revealed Mr Johnson listened to his ex pal in near total silence for 25 minutes in his Commons office on Monday night.
During the highly charged meeting Mr Gove told the former mayor of London “I am sorry if I hurt you”, but said he still believed he had done the right thing, according to a report in .
A source told the paper: “It’s fair to say that Michael did most, if not all, of the talking.”
Another ally said: “Boris could barely bring himself to look at Gove.”
The meeting ended without resolution although Mr Gove is said to believe they agreed to keep lines of communication open.
Mr Gove had agreed to serve as his fellow Leave campaigner’s campaign manager after the pair had effectively masterminded the Brexit victory during the EU referendum. But just hours before the official campaign launch, Mr Gove declared “Boris cannot provide the leadership or build the team for the task ahead,” as he announced his own intention to run for No10.
The statement effectively torpedoed Mr Johnson’s Downign Street dream, halving his support base. Humiliated, BoJo used what should have been his launch speech to withdraw from the contest.
At the time Johnson ally Jake Berry MP said “There is a very deep pit reserved in hell for such as he,” while Ben Wallace threatened to castrate Mr Gove.
The fallout from the treachery quickly derailed Mr Gove’s own campaign with many Brexit-backing MPs suggesting he could no longer be trusted.
They threw their weight behind Andrea Leadsom, causing Mr Gove to be eliminated in the second round with the support of just 46 MPs.
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Theresa May was effectively handed the keys to No10 without a fight after Ms Leadsom’s own campaign imploded over ill-judged comments about why motherhood made her a better candidate than childless Mrs May.
Mr Gove was then banished from the Cabinet while Mrs May made the shock appointment of Boris to the Foreign Office. The former Justice Secretary has insisted he has no intention of leaving politics.