Lost for words

Good grief - so we're down to two contenders. (not on the ball here)
Bozo and Rimmer.

Why are people so willing to overlook his past misdemeanours, his lying and prevaricating? Why do they think he would make a good PM? He is just coming out with statements of what he will achieve which by most accounts will be impossible.

If he is elected as PM, with a bit of luck he won't last because some of the Tory MPs will vote against him as they are opposed to his plans to take the UK out of the EU with no deal.

The OP sounds like left-wing muck raking
If you read my later post Day6 you will see the context was very much the opposite. Notwithstanding that the address was not provided, and the attack never took place Boris Johnson had just been informed of, and asked to collude with, an attack on a journalist.

Just watched the whole thing - terrifying

The OP sounds like left-wing muck raking - anything to thwart Johnson. This is such an old piece of news. I think that it is being used against Johnson speaks volumes about those who unearthed it.

Here is what actually happened.

"During a telephone call in 1990, he (Guppy) asked Boris Johnson (then a journalist at the Telegraph) to provide the home address of News of the World journalist Stuart Collier. Collier had been making enquiries into Guppy's background, and in response Guppy wanted to send someone to physically assault Collier. The address was not provided, and the attack never took place, but a tape of the conversation was leaked to the press in June 1995."

From Wiki.

I hope that does the rounds too, to clarify the matter, but I doubt very much that it will.

I do not think BJ can be in any way implicated. He might have told Guppy where to go in no uncertain terms, but as I see it, that is his only 'crime'. He wasn't charged with anything.

It sounds very much to me from that piece that Johnson was put on the spot, very confused and did his usual blustering to skirt round what was happening. Guppy sounds like a very nasty piece of work.

I am not defending Johnson but this was Guppy's evil plan and he is asking a favour of BJ.

I can imagine the face anyone would pull after receiving such a weird phone call.

Guppy was publicly disgraced. He has a memorable name.

eazybee I do remember hearing what I thought was gossip about this incident many years ago and dismissed it at the time, but someone I know, actually a Boris supporter, alluded to it recently. (In the context of being glad the press weren't re-hashing it.) Anyway, that's why I decided to check to see if there was any evidence that the phone call really did take place - and I'll admit that in spite of all the other stuff Boris Johnson's done, I was shocked to find that it is actually true.

I must lead a sheltered life!

I don't know whether the beating-up happened, but Guppy did assault the journalist by emptying a bag of horse manure over him in revenge, and he and BJ certainly discussed beating him up.

www.pressgazette.co.uk/darius-guppy-i-emptied-a-bag-of-horse-manure-on-to-journalist-as-revenge-for-insulting-article/ Pressgazette July 10, 2013

Transcript of phone call -

" Guppy: Boris, have you got this number?
Johnson: [inaudible] look, there is a guy at the moment, going through…
Guppy: You’re brilliant.
Johnson: … files at home
Guppy: Fantastic. But I am telling you something, Boris. This guy has got my blood up, alright? And there is nothing which I won’t do to get my revenge. It’s as simple as that.
Johnson: How badly are you going to hurt this guy?
Guppy: Not badly at all.
Johnson: I really, I want to know …
Guppy: Look, let me explain to you…
Johnson: If this guy [see/sues?] me I will be fucking furious.
Guppy: I guarantee you he will not be seriously hurt.
Johnson: How badly will he …
Guppy, interrupting: He will not have a broken limb or broken arm, he will not be put into intensive care or anything like that. He will probably get a couple of black eyes and a … a cracked rib or something.
Johnson: Cracked rib?
Guppy: Nothing which you didn’t suffer at rugby, OK? But he’ll get scared and that’s what I want … I want him to get scared, I want him to have no idea who’s behind it, OK?
Johnson: If I get trouble, if I get…
Guppy: You will not, Boris. I swear to you. If you…
Johnson: [unaudible bluster]… I got this bloody number for you. OK, Darrie. I said I’d do it. I’ll do it. Don’t worry.
Guppy: Boris, I mean it; I really love you.

More details from this same conversation are available here, including this nugget not included in the published audio:
Guppy: But Boris there’s absolutely no *** proof: you just deny it. I mean, there’s no proof at all.
Johnson: Well yeah…
Guppy: I mean, you know, big deal. You’re sitting in Brussels and the day it happens you’re in Brussels, it’s as simple as that.

By now you may have noticed that Boris Johnson’s primary concern is that his role in this planned assault will be discovered. Also, just in case there is any doubt about the nature of the information he promises Guppy, here is a fuller transcript of the tail end of the conversation, where he promises to deliver both the phone number and address of the man Darius Guppy plans to have beaten in a revenge attack:
Guppy: Well do it discreetly. I … if it’s in any way going to look suspicious. That’s all I require – just the address: the address and the phone number … all right? Now I guarantee you, you have nothing to worry about. [Slowly, emphatically] Believe me. All right? You have my personal guarantee. I’ve never let you down, all right?
Johnson: OK Darrie, I said I’ll do it and I’ll do it. Don’t worry.
Guppy: Boris, I really mean it, I love you and I will owe you this, all right? And I’m a man who keeps my word."

https://www.craigmurray.org.uk/archives/2011/04/boris-johnson-and-violence/ 20 Apr, 2011

www.youtube.com/watch?v=EVq7ZGlvapM

About 20 mins in you can see BJ listening to it (laughing) and commenting.

When Nicola Sturgeon was interviewed by Kirsty Wark the other night she was asked which of the two contenders would be best for PM..she said with all due respect Kirsty that's like asking me if I prefer to be run over by a truck or a bus .

They really are scraping the bottom of the barrel with these
two .

Only because there's little else to choose from Annie.

He is a bad lot but will win the leadership

I've said all along that BJ is bad. For all his bluff and fluster he doesn't fool me, it's all a put-on act to cover up his incompetence.

It may be old news, but extremely relevant to the present.

It does well to be reminded of Johnson moral standing. Thank you granny

Only just discovered this, grannyactivist.?
The muck- raking machine must be slowing down.

Darius Guppy was involved in a fraud case in the 1990s and I believe sent to prison. The 'beating up' didn't happen.

This is old news grannyactivist and apparently did take place.Darius Guppy was an old school friend from Eton, and a dodgy character ( Anniebach I think he committed fraud) .

Got it, he was a close friend of Charles Spencer .

People will still vote for him, probably dismiss it with ‘it was 20 years ago’ .

Wonder if the journalist was beaten up , hope not.

Why is the name Darius Guppy familiar

granny indeed. I so agree.