We could just see what Nicholas Sturgeon said in that interview.

Boris Johnson has made overtly racist comments.

You can criticize a burger without big, deeply offensive some of the things he said about black people I wouldn't even repeat because I don't think it's appropriate to do so.

What do you make of that?

Well, Sophie, first of all, I personally would be sitting here supporting Boris if I thought he was racist and said something like Care very deeply about.

And when you look at the contact of the article about the Burger, First Boston Independent panel looked at it, and they described it as in the round, being respectful and tolerant.

And of course, we were going to take particular comments out of context. 00:00:55.150 --> 00:01:7.800 But the article was making a very liberal argument about the right of women to choose what they would like to where the time when other European countries, you Nicholas, surgeons, very, very fond of us being connected closer to where they were going around banning the burka. 00:01:7.800 --> 00:01:10.230 And here was Boris making an argument that women shouldn't be banned.

They should be how to make that choice for themselves when she's also talking about some of things he said about black people, and I believe she's referring to Cut Telegraph column in 2002.

Yes, quite a long time ago, admittedly, where he was rushing up Tony Blair, they say he shortly after the Congo.

No doubt the A K 40 sevens will fall silent on the pandas will stop their hacking of human flesh, and the tribal warriors will break out in watermelon smiles.

But I haven't read that particular article, but the broad point I'd say it's Boris is very clearly apologized.

Any offense that he's caused through any of the thousands and thousands of articles he's written over a very long journalistic career, anything to get along.

I don't know anything about saying anything, but this is someone who does have a particular way of communicating, which does seem to work.

You know, he's won two elections in a place which people thought conservatives couldn't win.

He won the referendum campaign that people thought was not possible to win. 00:01:59.910 --> 00:02:5.800 And he's able to do those things because he has a way of engaging the public and because he speaks in a way that they understand that's direct. 00:02:5.950 --> 00:02:7.370 That gets through to them on. 00:02:7.370 --> 00:02:9.730 Although, of course he's gonna apologize with comments that he's made. 00:02:9.780 --> 00:02:19.250 I don't think it's right that he should become this cookie cutter politician who doesn't have that great connection with the public and engages them and talk to them in a way that they resonate with clearly as we can see from his track record.

I mean, there's been a lot of focus as well on a story that's dominated the papers over the last couple of days, something that we will again be speaking some of the guests about the police being called to the flat that Boris Johnson shares with his girlfriend.

Does that story worry?

Well, I think the thing we do know is, you said, is that the police were called and of course, that's something that people are gonna be really interested in.

But then let's just look at that.

The police were called to an incident, and what did they say?

They said everybody was safe.

Everybody was well, there was no concerns that the officers had, and there was no cause for any further action and given.

That's what the police have said.

And it's clear private incident.

I wasn't there.

You weren't there.

I think we should just leave it at that. 00:02:59.160 --> 00:03:1.930 It is having, according to one poll today, a bit of an impact. 00:03:1.930 --> 00:03:8.530 Though You're talking about Boris Johnson's record in London, Let's just have a quick look at a poll that the Mail on Sunday have published today. 00:03:8.530 --> 00:03:12.520 This is Vice Ovation, They asked who would be the best prime minister on DDE?

In the days since that incident, Jeremy Hunt has knee Prague, Boris Johnson 30% compared to 29% now.

Crucially, this is among all voters among members.

The pole still finds that Boris Johnson is more popular, but it matters, doesn't it what everyone thinks?

Of course it matters what everybody thinks, because I think Boris Johnson could be a prime minister for the entirety of the U.

K.

And I think he'll do a very good job of that appealing to everybody that pulls the polls people reactor event by the day.

What we've seen is he has a track record of winning and he had a tricorder winning.

Even when the polls said at the beginning of the contest he wasn't going to win its first race in London.

I think the Conservatives were 17 points behind and he managed to pull off a victory.

The referendum.

I mean, nobody thought that leave about a win.

He led that referendum.

So I think when push comes to shove, his track record speaks for itself and that's cause he's a fantastic campaigner and he has a great set of ideas about spreading educational opportunity for everybody, infrastructure investment to make sure that all parts of our country sharing our prosperity is important to me is a northern MP and I know people talk about that.

They feel it.

I think Boris connects with that and he will have a message to those people that will make them think Yes, you know, here's someone who can deliver for us, as he did in London, and I want it back him now.

You voted to leave the EU, I think I might doing What's Boris Johnson told you about his plans to lead?

Because there are some people who look at the range of opinion that he's attracted the concept of parting.

Think how on earth is he gonna have a Brexit policy that keeps Matt Hancock's happy in the warm corner and Steve Baker happy and the other what they said to you.

First of all, I don't think it's a bad thing that he has attracted support from all wings of the party.

I think that's absolutely the what you should be looking for in the next prime minister.

That's the job that they have to do in the fact that he's going to do that is a good thing.

I think he said the same thing to me that he said to everybody, and I think this is where in contrast of some of the other candidates have had slightly different positions over time, what with absolute clarity, he said. 00:04:56.710 --> 00:05:0.750 The same thing is that we will leave the European Union on the 31st of October. 00:05:0.760 --> 00:05:3.720 That's his expressed will, and he will work very hard to deliver. 00:05:3.720 --> 00:05:5.570 That got a cast on guarantee. 00:05:5.940 --> 00:05:8.870 That's what I'm trying to get to what he has said it very clearly. 00:05:8.870 --> 00:05:10.950 He is prepared to walk away without a deal.

If that's what it will do, you do it.

Of course he will do it, he said.

Crystal clear that he will do it.

Andi, It's right that he does prepare for that.

But he's also said that's not his preferences preferences, not tow walk away without a deal.

His preference is to re negotiate with our European friends and allies, find a constructive way to leave.

But it's absolutely right and responsible that we do prepare for no deal in order to maximize our hand at the negotiating table and make sure that we're best prepared.

And he'll do that with conviction.

Ah, no.

I think that's what the bridge people deserve.

Someone fighting very hard for us in Brussels but determined to deliver on the will of the referendum and get us out of the inn you by the end of October.

There's been a bit of consternation among some of your colleagues about comments that Boris Johnson made about renegotiating within the implementation period.

I think you just might have time to quickly show what David Linden to David Ludington had said.

That's the wrong one. 00:05:59.690 --> 00:06:0.110 There we go. 00:06:0.300 --> 00:06:3.670 Thean fermentation periods actually part of the withdrawal agreement. 00:06:3.670 --> 00:06:4.790 No deal except equals. 00:06:4.790 --> 00:06:8.540 No withdrawal agreement equals no implementation period on his wrong. 00:06:8.540 --> 00:06:11.450 There isn't a There's a range of different ways one could leave.

One is with the existing withdrawal agreement.

But this ex agreement three times so we didn't really need a different way to leave.

It could be the this withdrawal agreement with changes to the backstop, which is an obvious place to start.

But the point is, you can't re negotiate within the implementation period if there's no deal, can you?

Because of what you will be renegotiating during an implementation period, if that's where we end up is the exact form of the future relationship.

And that's something that Boris has been very clear about.

He wants to have a future relationship with the EU, where of course they're our friends and allies, but we must have control over our borders.

Our laws are trading relationships on those are all the things a detail of which we can work out during implementation, period.

And Boris has been very clear.

He will deliver on that when we get to that point.

Okay?

And just finally, you won't set in an interview that you wanted to be a Jedi knight when I grow up. 00:06:58.340 --> 00:07:2.510 I mean, obviously, you might have to readjust your expectations slightly, but what job would you like in there? 00:07:2.510 --> 00:07:3.500 Boris Johnson covered. 00:07:3.510 --> 00:07:5.460 It's not a conversation I've had with him. 00:07:5.460 --> 00:07:11.360 I don't think there is a minister minister for Star Wars that I'm aware off if that job can be created.

I'm not funny enough was actually listening at the Royal Albert Hall yesterday to, ah, Great Star Wars concert, which was brilliant with my kids.

But now that I felt conversation I've had with him, one thing I think we do know is that as he did as mayor of London, he built a fantastic team around in.

Some of them are in Parliament today.

Some of his deputy mayor's colleagues of mine have been on your show Kit Mulhouse, James cleverly.

They helped him get crime down, and I'm sure he will put that team together again.

And for everybody, thank you very much for being on the program today.