LONDON -- Boris Johnson embarked on a media blitz Tuesday, hoping to shift the subject away from his private life and back to Britain's pending departure from the European Union.
Johnson, who is running to be the next leader for both the Conservative Party and the nation, has declined to address personal questions despite an ongoing clamor to face public scrutiny after a reported quarrel with his girlfriend last week prompted a police visit.
In a break from his previous strategy, Johnson took part in three interviews in less than 24 hours, responding to challenger Jeremy Hunt's criticism that he was a "coward" and needed to face greater public scrutiny if he is to become prime minister.
Johnson toughened his stance on Britain's exit from the EU, promising he would take the country out of the bloc by Halloween, "do or die." He challenged Hunt to do the same.
But the personal issues were never far away. Speaking on LBC radio, Johnson was questioned over a picture showing him and girlfriend Carrie Symonds in the leafy Sussex countryside amid speculation that it was staged and released by his campaign. Symonds, a former Conservative Party press officer, has remained firmly out of the public eye since Friday, when a neighbor reported hearing shouting, screaming and banging at the home the couple share.
"The difficulty is that the minute you say one thing, you obviously are bringing people, your loved ones, your family, into the public domain in a way that is not fair," Johnson said.
Asked where the photograph was from and when it was taken, Johnson said that "the longer we spend on things extraneous to what I want to do ... the bigger the waste of time."
LBC host Nick Ferrari pressed on. He said the picture showed Johnson with a hairstyle he no longer wears and suggested it was an old image.
"This conversation is now descending into farce," Johnson responded.
Johnson is seen by many as the favorite in the runoff against Hunt but has refused to appear at some debates and shunned the media before changing tack. He granted the BBC an interview that was broadcast Monday evening and took on two other appearances by midmorning Tuesday.
In all the interviews, the former mayor of London sought to turn the conversation back to his wish to lead Britain out of the EU by Oct. 31 -- with or without a deal. He told Talkradio that he would succeed where Prime Minister Theresa May had failed.
"I think a bit of positive energy would help, frankly. I've never seen such morosity and gloom from a government," he said. "For three years, we've been sitting around wrapped in defeatism, telling the British public that they can't do this or that. It is pathetic. It's absolutely pathetic."
The winner of the runoff will replace May, who stepped down as party leader after failing to secure Parliament's approval for her Brexit deal.
A Section on 06/26/2019