London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Tuesday, Oct 21, 2025

Boris Johnson can ‘get away with things’ others can’t, says David Cameron

Boris Johnson can ‘get away with things’ others can’t, says David Cameron

Ex-PM also says Johnson has presided over a more adversarial relationship with media
Boris Johnson can “get away with things that mere mortals can’t seem to”, the former prime minister David Cameron has said, while suggesting there has been an “arms race” between politicians and the media to outwit one another.

Johnson’s team have significantly changed relationships with the media – hiring personal photographers on to the No 10 staff who often snap key events instead of photographers from media organisations.

Johnson has also used taped clips to make announcements – including most recently the announcement of no new restrictions before Christmas – instead of appearing at a press conference or in front of MPs.

In an interview with Adam Boulton for Feral Beasts, a documentary exploring Britain and the media, Cameron said the relationship had become more adversarial.

“I think there has been a bit of an arms race in a way,” Cameron said. “Politicians have tooled up with special advisers and the spin doctors, and the media have tooled up by even more aggressive ‘gotcha’ interviews to get that magic moment.

“I think we have got to try and have a relationship still distant and confrontational by moments – but understanding that you have got legitimate questions, but we have also got a responsibility to explain what we are doing. And can we try and find a bit of space for those things to coexist.”

Cameron had also made a request for a personal official photographer, which was declined, which prompted him to say Johnson could get away with more than others.

He also criticised the prime minister’s decision to boycott appearances on BBC Radio 4’s flagship Today programme – his appearance on the show in October was the first time he had been on it in two years.

Cameron was criticised during his time in No 10 for avoiding press scrutiny. As Conservative leader he had pledged to hold monthly press conferences but those were soon ditched.

“But, look, I think you shouldn’t do this to bypass the media. You go on having … whether it is press conferences or interviews or media events – this is important,” Cameron said. “And I always did. Yes, the press conferences were rather infrequent, but I never held back from going on the Today programme and coming on your show.

“I mean, we were always available and keen to engage and to answer questions.”

Johnson had promised a more open relationship with the press with plans for televised media briefings from a £2m refurbished media suite and hired Allegra Stratton as an official spokesperson to front them.

But rows over the briefings eventually led to the departure of several senior staff and they were cancelled. Stratton resigned this month after footage leaked of briefing rehearsals in which staff joked about Downing Street Christmas parties.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
This Is How the 'Heist of the Century' Was Carried Out at the Louvre in Seven Minutes: France Humiliated as Crown with 2,000 Diamonds Vanishes
China Warns UK of ‘Consequences’ After Delay to London Embassy Approval
France’s Wealthy Shift Billions to Luxembourg and Switzerland Amid Tax and Political Turmoil
"Sniper Position": Observation Post Targeting 'Air Force One' Found Before Trump’s Arrival in Florida
Shouting Match at the White House: 'Trump Cursed, Threw Maps, and Told Zelensky – "Putin Will Destroy You"'
Windows’ Own ‘Siri’ Has Arrived: You Can Now Talk to Your Computer
Thailand and Singapore Investigate Cambodian-Based Prince Group as U.S. and U.K. Sanctions Unfold
‘No Kings’ Protests Inflate Numbers — But History Shows Nations Collapse Without Strong Executive Power
Chinese Tech Giants Halt Stablecoin Launches After Beijing’s Regulatory Intervention
Manhattan Jury Holds BNP Paribas Liable for Enabling Sudanese Government Abuses
Trump Orders Immediate Release of Former Congressman George Santos After Commuting Prison Sentence
S&P Downgrades France’s Credit Rating, Citing Soaring Debt and Political Instability
Ofcom Rules BBC’s Gaza Documentary ‘Materially Misleading’ Over Narrator’s Hamas Ties
Diane Keaton’s Cause of Death Revealed as Pneumonia, Family Confirms
Former Lostprophets Frontman Ian Watkins Stabbed to Death in British Prison
"The Tsunami Is Coming, and It’s Massive": The World’s Richest Man Unveils a New AI Vision
Outsider, Heroine, Trailblazer: Diane Keaton Was Always a Little Strange — and Forever One of a Kind
Dramatic Development in the Death of 'Mango' Founder: Billionaire's Son Suspected of Murder
Two Years of Darkness: The Harrowing Testimonies of Israeli Hostages Emerging From Gaza Captivity
EU Moves to Use Frozen Russian Assets to Buy U.S. Weapons for Ukraine
Europe Emerges as the Biggest Casualty in U.S.-China Rare Earth Rivalry
HSBC Confronts Strategic Crossroads as NAB Seeks Only Retail Arm in Australia Exit
U.S. Chamber Sues Trump Over $100,000 H-1B Visa Fee
Shenzhen Expo Spotlights China’s Quantum Step in Semiconductor Self-Reliance
China Accelerates to the Forefront in Global Nuclear Fusion Race
Yachts, Private Jets, and a Picasso Painting: Exposed as 'One of the Largest Frauds in History'
Australia’s Wedgetail Spies Aid NATO Response as Russian MiGs Breach Estonian Airspace
McGowan Urges Chalmers to Cut Spending Over Tax Hike to Close $20 Billion Budget Gap
Victoria Orders Review of Transgender Prison Placement Amid Safety Concerns for Female Inmates
U.S. Treasury Mobilises New $20 Billion Debt Facility to Stabilise Argentina
French Business Leaders Decry Budget as Macron’s Pro-Enterprise Promise Undermined
Trump Claims Modi Pledged India Would End Russian Oil Imports Amid U.S. Tariff Pressure
Surging AI Startup Valuations Fuel Bubble Concerns Among Top Investors
Australian Punter Archie Wilson Tears Up During Nebraska Press Conference, Sparking Conversation on Male Vulnerability
Australia Confirms U.S. Access to Upgraded Submarine Shipyard Under AUKUS Deal
“Firepower” Promised for Ukraine as NATO Ministers Meet — But U.S. Tomahawks Remain Undecided
Brands Confront New Dilemma as Extremists Adopt Fashion Labels
The Sydney Sweeney and Jeans Storm: “The Outcome Surpassed Our Wildest Dreams”
Erika Kirk Delivers Moving Tribute at White House as Trump Awards Charlie Presidential Medal of Freedom
British Food Influencer ‘Big John’ Detained in Australia After Visa Dispute
ScamBodia: The Chinese Fraud Empire Shielded by Cambodia’s Ruling Elite
French PM Suspends Macron’s Pension Reform Until After 2027 in Bid to Stabilize Government
Orange, Bouygues and Free Make €17 Billion Bid for Drahi’s Altice France Telecom Assets
Dutch Government Seizes Chipmaker After U.S. Presses for Removal of Chinese CEO
Bessent Accuses China of Dragging Down Global Economy Amid New Trade Curbs
U.S. Revokes Visas of Foreign Nationals Who ‘Celebrated’ Charlie Kirk’s Assassination
AI and Cybersecurity at Forefront as GITEX Global 2025 Kicks Off in Dubai
DJI Loses Appeal to Remove Pentagon’s ‘Chinese Military Company’ Label
EU Deploys New Biometric Entry/Exit System: What Non-EU Travelers Must Know
Australian Prime Minister’s Private Number Exposed Through AI Contact Scraper
×