Boris Johnson ducks out of BBC Jeremy Vine interview that every other leader did

The prime minister has ducked out of yet another interview on the BBc at the last minute, even though every other party leader made an appearance. Photo: Stefan Rousseau/PA Wire - Credit: PA

The prime minister has ducked out of yet another interview on the BBC at the last minute, even though every other party leader made an appearance.

Boris Johnson was expected to appear on the Jeremy Vine BBC Radio 2 show on the day before the election, but, according to the show’s host, his press team informed the show he would not be taking part at the last minute.

Jeremy Vine tweeted: “Boris Johnson has refused to follow the other six leaders who have taken part in the leader interviews [on BBC Radio 2]. His staff constantly told my producers — until this morning — that he was ‘very likely’ to come on. Today we were told he couldn’t, and no reason was given.”

Speaking on his show, Vine added: “Over the last two weeks, this programme will have interviewed six of the leaders of the main political parties in this country.

“Until yesterday afternoon we had every reason to think that today I would be sitting here opposite the Prime Minister Boris Johnson.”

The radio and television presenter explained: “Yesterday afternoon we were told by the Prime Minister’s press officer he was pulling out and it wasn’t going to happen.

“That means that millions of Radio 2 listeners are not going to have the chance to hear the PM being scrutinised about his policies, his character and his plans for the future on this programme.”

Boris Johnson has been under heavy scrutiny since his failure to agree to an interview with the BBC’s Andrew Neil.