Boris Johnson sacked by Howard
Boris Johnson has been sacked as arts spokesman for the Conservative Party amid allegations about his private life.
The News of the World and the Mail on Sunday claim the editor of The Spectator had an affair with columnist Petronella Wyatt.
The newspapers both claim Ms Wyatt had become pregnant and the MP had paid for her to have an abortion at the Portland Hospital in London last month.
Party leader Michael Howard yesterday afternoon phoned Mr Johnson to inform him of his decision.
The MP for Henley has also been dismissed as party vice-chairman.
Mr Johnson said his party appeared to “have gone mad” by taking the decision to remove him.
Mr Johnson said the allegations were based on “an inverted pyramid of piffle”.
Mr Johnson caused a political storm last month when he backed an editorial describing Liverpudlians as a people who wallowed in grief over the murder of engineer Ken Bigley in Iraq.
Mr Johnson is married with four young children.
