Boris Johnson has insisted that his refusal not partake in a debate with leadership rival Jeremy Hunt is not an attempt to avoid scrutiny.
Boris Johnson and Jeremy Hunt both showed their faces at a hustings event in Exeter on Friday for Tory members exclusively.
While they did not debate one another and were both questioned individually.
One questioner directed a question to Boris Johnson asking if his reluctance to debate his leadership fellow contender meant he was scared of serious perusal by opposition and from the public.
The former mayor of London dismissed the idea saying that the only effect a debate would have would to bring harm to the Conservative Party.
He said: “One of the important things as Conservatives is not to spend too much time tearing great lumps out of each other in advance of the end of the contest. My policies and so on have received a huge amount of scrutiny,”
“I’m doing at least two head-to-head debates, which I think is probably more than enough to glut the appetite of the electorate. I’ve done loads of debate in my time, loads and loads.”
Jeremy Hunt responded by promising not to attack Mr Johnson “personal issues” and “stick to the issues facing the country.
He did however stand by his decision to label his opponent a “coward” for not agreeing to the debate.
This comes as Tom Newton Dunn told BBC’s Question Time on Thursday the Boris Johnson’s private affairs should be open for scrutiny.
The Sun's @tnewtondunn says Boris Johnson's private life should be subject to public scrutiny. #bbcqt pic.twitter.com/uQx8Zxjd2e
— BBC Question Time (@bbcquestiontime) June 27, 2019
The internet reacted to Mr Johnson’s rejection saying that he was hiding from scrutiny.
Today @OFOCBrexit is telling Boris Johnson to STOP DUCKING SCRUTINY! #BoJoNoShow pic.twitter.com/0eZYlM0tVL
— Femi (@Femi_Sorry) June 27, 2019
Some invoked the duty of the prime ministership to public inspection and proposed a petition to demand that Mr Johnson participate.
Those running for Prime Minister should not be able to dodge the public. Sign @electoralreform’s petition to tell Boris Johnson to take part in the TV leadership debates https://t.co/34CNBCaeXr
— Steve Oram (@SteveOram21) June 28, 2019
Supporters of Mr Johnson praised him for dodging the Sky News debate dubbing it “Sly News”.
Keep going and win for democracy , decency and the millions who have been abused and ignored , P.S Avoid SLY news like the plague , no one likes or respects them , and they offer nothing worthwhile to the debate .
— vince francis (@Uvote4yourself) June 28, 2019
Some called into question the hypocrisy of how those who recorded an apparent altercation between Boris Johnson and his girlfriend are being treated in the media as opposed to Johnson himself.
The people who phoned the police after the Boris ‘incident’ are receiving more scrutiny than Boris Johnson himself. This is where the UK is going. #marr
— Pete Wishart (@PeteWishart) June 23, 2019
Boris Johnson and Jeremy Hunt are scheduled to debate each other on 9 July on ITV.
