Rachel Johnson: My brother Boris dreamt of being world king – and he almost achieved it

Boris Johnson's sister has defended him amid the fallout from his resignation last week, praising his "drive, intelligence and energy" as he aimed to achieve his childhood ambition of becoming "world king". 

Speaking on her LBC show, Rachel Johnson reflected on the "rise and fall of Boris," saying that she was not going to praise him or bury him but talk about "a few simple things from the heart as his sister".

The Prime Minister's sister, 56, said: "Let me tell you a story as Rishi's slick promotional video started, let's say the rise and fall of Boris in a way that a small child might understand.

"Once upon a time there was a little boy who dreamt of becoming world king, he first said that when he was two, and actually almost achieved his ambition.

"He wasn't rich in wealth, his privilege was in his education, his intelligence, his drive, his energy, and he set about achieving his childhood ambitions, including writing a number one bestseller, which he did with his book: The Churchill Factor: How One Man Made History."

Her comments came after Mr Johnson resigned as Conservative leader on Thursday, saying new policies must wait for the next prime minister and confirming that he will step aside once a successor is in place.

In an address to the nation that followed months of sleaze and scandals, he lamented not being able to convince his MPs to back him, but added: "Them's the breaks."

Her defence of his time at Number 10 was met with a chorus of criticism, including calls for LBC to sack her.

'They are entitled to those views as I am to mine'

She said: "I haven't deliberately been listening to much of the vindictiveness, the dancing on the grave, the spitting on the grave and I'm not listening to those who have made a good listening out of Boris bashing."

The 56-year-old journalist also referenced the Partygate scandal that had engulfed Mr Johnson this year, particularly the celebration of his birthday in June 2020, saying that his workplace is "also his house". 

Speaking on LBC on Sunday night, Mrs Johnson said: "He won the Tory's a whopping 80 seat majority and a fourth general election victory.

"Like it or not, many of those 14 million votes were cast as he was captain of the ship, he was Prime Minister during both COP26 last year in Glasgow and the G7 summit in Cornwall.

"He steered the country through the pandemic and set the west's course on the war in Ukraine and he also conveyed his own belief that to be born British or become British as we Johnson's did in the early part of the last century, was to win first prize in the lottery of life.

"Many of his frenemies and many others think he shouldn't have given a bad boy called Chris Pincher a second chance in the whips office or even any chance - and they are entitled to those views as I am to mine."

Writer Will Black described the defence as "Trumpist level narcissism" on Twitter, joining another user who called it "sycophantic drivel".

Mr Johnson was forced to act last week after more than 50 Conservative ministers resigned from his government, including several of his top Cabinet ministers.

His sister quipped: "Who knew we had so many ministers and trade envoys on payroll? What did they all do and how on earth did they get their jobs?"

She added: "They weren't angry about the necessary bankrupting of economy during Covid, money our children and grandchildren will pay for until they die. They weren't angry about Covid restrictions. But they were angry about the alleged groping of Mr Pincher at a private club in London and the Rwanda asylum policy.

"But whether that's a fairytale or not - isn't that how you'd explain it to your children?"