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Reuters
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Boris Johnson was speaking at the first of 16 public membership hustings to be the next Tory leader
Boris Johnson has refused to answer questions on reports of a row between him and his partner in which police were called.Speaking at a Tory Party hustings in Birmingham, Mr Johnson said “people did not want to hear” about the reported row between him and Carrie Symonds.The Guardian said Ms Symonds was heard telling the Tory MP to “get off me” and “get out of my flat”.Police said they spoke to all occupants of the address, who were safe and well.Asked about the incident by LBC presenter Iain Dale, Mr Johnson said: “I don’t think people want to hear about that.”After being accused by Mr Dale of ducking the question, Mr Johnson did not respond directly, instead saying: “People are entitled to ask me what I want to do for the country.”
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Boris Johnson told members of the audience ‘not to boo’ Iain Dale
Mr Dale pressed again, telling Mr Johnson: “If the police are called to your home it makes it everyone’s business. “You are running for office of not just Conservative Party leader, but prime minister, so a lot of people who admire your politics do call into question your character, and it is incumbent on you to answer that question.”In response, Mr Johnson accepted this was “a fair point” but, rather than answer the question, spoke about “open platforms on the back of new Routemaster buses in London” when he was London mayor.Pressed a further two times on the issue, Mr Johnson said it was “pretty obvious from the foregoing” he would not be making further comments on the incident.
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PA
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Carrie Symonds has been in a relationship with Mr Johnson since 2018
The report in the Guardian said a neighbour had told the newspaper they heard a woman screaming followed by “slamming and banging”.It said that in the recording – heard by the Guardian, but not by the BBC – Mr Johnson was refusing to leave the flat and telling the woman to “get off” his laptop before there was a loud crashing noise.Ms Symonds is allegedly heard saying the MP had ruined a sofa with red wine: “You just don’t care for anything because you’re spoilt. You have no care for money or anything.”