Boris Johnson’s father Stanley compares PM’s Covid response to Churchill in WW2

“I think it is extraordinary,” Stanley Johnson said of his son’s Covid response

Boris Johnson’s father, Stanley Johnson, has compared the prime minister’s vaccine response to Winston Churchill’s leadership during World War II. 

Speaking on Good Morning Britain on Friday, the elder Mr Johnson said he thought his son’s handling of Britain’s response to the coronavirus pandemic was “extraordinary”. 

“Here he comes in, he has a good majority and bang bang, bang bang,” he said. “ It reminds me a bit of Churchill in May 1940, within days you had the fall of France, you had Dunkirk, you had the battle of Britain and bang bang bang.”

The prime minister, he said, was “coming through this, I would say, in fine style”.

Read more: Boris Johnson tells Covid truthers to ‘grow up’

The PM’s father’s comments were not met with quite the same level of enthusiasm. 

“Obviously, you’re his father so you have every right to be very proud of him,” host Ben Shephard said. 

Also appearing as a guest on the show, former Home Secretary Jacqui Smith criticised Mr Johnson over his decision to pursue French citizenship to enjoy “freedom of movement” that other Britons without a European passport will not be able to enjoy due to Brexit. 

He suggested that applying for French citizenship was a “sentimental gesture” to his mother, who was born in France.

He also said that it was important to not appear “anti-European”. 

“It’s a little tiny gesture by me to sort of build a bridge,” he said.

He said his son was “perfectly aware” of his plans and should be “jolly pleased” by them.