Sajid Javid has said he does not doubt “for a second” Boris Johnson’s denials that he groped a female journalist, as the Conservatives sought to put their party conference back on track with a day devoted to public services and the economy.
In a round of media interviews, Javid, the chancellor, repeatedly refused to discuss any details of the allegation made by the Sunday Times journalist Charlotte Edwardes, or whether it should be investigated.
He repeatedly backed the prime minister’s version of events, telling BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “I’ve talked to the prime minister about that. And first of all, he couldn’t be clearer, absolutely clear, that they are completely untrue. I totally trust him on that.”
Javid also told BBC1’s Breakfast: “I don’t think it’s a good idea to get drawn into personal allegations. For my part I’m not going to get into that. The prime minister has said that this is completely untrue, and I have full faith in the prime minister. I don’t doubt what he has said for a second but I’m not going to get drawn into these allegations.”
Following days of revelations about his relationship with the American tech entrepreneur Jennifer Arcuri, the first day of the Conservative conference in Manchester was dogged by the accusation that Johnson grabbed the thighs of two women at a lunch while he was editor of the Spectator magazine.
Edwardes claimed that at the lunch in 1999, Johnson groped her leg under a table, grabbing “enough inner flesh beneath his fingers” to make her “sit upright”. She also alleged that he did the same to another woman at the same event.
Downing Street initially declined to comment on Sunday, but after senior ministers were questioned repeatedly about the alleged incident a No 10 spokesperson said: “The allegation is untrue.”
Javid’s backing for Johnson has not been completely matched by current and former ministers. On Sunday evening, Matt Hancock, the health secretary, told Channel 4 News of Edwardes: “I know her and I know her to be trustworthy.”
Amber Rudd, the former work and pensions secretary, who resigned earlier this month, later tweeted: “I agree with @MattHancock.”
Justine Greening, the former Tory cabinet minister who now sits as an independent, told Today programme: “I can’t comment on those accusations but they are deeply concerning and in a sense they go to the heart of this question about character and integrity of people in public life and what standards the electorate have a right to expect.”
Asked if there should be an investigation into the claims, Javid told Sky: “There are these types of allegations all the time against all sorts of people, and I’m not going to get drawn into what should or shouldn’t happen when such allegations are made.”
Javid will be making a speech to the conference later on Monday as the centrepiece of a day devoted to what will be the Conservatives’ key election message on greater spending for public services and infrastructure.
The chancellor is set to announce billions of pounds of spending on roads, buses and internet connectivity, unveiled by Javid as “the first step in our plans to deliver an infrastructure revolution”.
However, little of the money is new. The main commitment, £25bn to upgrade roads over five years, was announced last year, with the only new element being confirmation of which specific projects have been chosen as the first to go ahead.
Another element of the spending package, £220m for what is billed as a national bus strategy to improve services across England, including money on electric buses, was announced at the last government spending round.
However, the Treasury said that all but £200m of an announced £5bn to improve full-fibre and 5G internet networks was new.
John McDonnell, the shadow chancellor, called the announcements a “combination of re-announcements and damp squibs”.
On the conference agenda for Monday, there will be a speech from Gavin Williamson, the education secretary, and a panel session on public services involving Theresa Coffey, Rudd’s replacement as work and pensions secretary, and Hancock.
Hancock will discuss NHS spending plans, which were initially presented as £13bn to build 40 new hospitals. It later transpired that the money committed so far, £3bn, would go to just six NHS trusts, which had plans already in place for hospitals in need of rebuilding.
