Boris Johnson is latest candidate for Labour deputy leader
14 Sep 2006
Boris Johnson has become the latest MP to be linked with the deputy leadership of the Labour Party, joining a line of politicians including Alan Johnson, Peter Hain, John Prescott and Rev Dr Ian Paisley who have expressed an interest in the job. Mr Johnson is thought to have become embroiled in the contest, which is expected to take place at some point in the next 12 months "or possibly later if Tony wants to hang on a bit longer", after being mixed up with the other Mr Johnson by a tabloid journalist."If this comes as a shock to you then it came as a jolly big shock to me, I can tell you," Boris told reporters outside his London home. "I'm Tory through and through, blue in the blood and blue in the bone, so to speak, but I'm not one to back away from a challenge. If and when John Prescott does step down, and I think I speak for everyone when I say that should be within the not too distant future, I'm confident I would make a worthy successor."
As well as sharing the same surname, the two MPs share similar titles – Alan is Education Secretary, while Boris shadows Higher Education. "It can get quite confusing," Boris admitted. "I once tried to speak from the government dispatch box in the middle of an education debate, but the Government Chief Whip pushed me in the right direction. We've picked up each other's coats by accident before as well."
A spokesman for Alan told DeadBrain: "Mr Johnson has never picked up Mr Johnson's coat – by which I mean Alan has never picked up Boris. That I can say for certain. I can't say who or what Boris Johnson has picked up. Alan did lose a coat in the House of Commons cloakroom a few months ago, though."
