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One of Boris Johnson’s ministers has denied a report in the Italian media that the UK prime minister made a secret trip to the country less than a fortnight ago, a claim that Downing Street has also dismissed as “completely false”.
When asked if the British Prime Minister had landed in Perugia in the past two weeks, which the Umbrian airport said in a statement, Grant Shapps, the UK Transport Minister, told Sky News: “Not that I know. I think he is wrong, as far as I know ”.
Issue 10 issued a firm rebuttal to the report, saying that Johnson had met with Conservative MPs through Zoom on Friday, September 11, and had attended his son’s baptism service on Saturday, September 12.
A spokesman for Westminster Cathedral confirmed that baby Wilfred was baptized into the Catholic Church in a private service on September 12 by Father Daniel Humphries. There were fewer than 30 guests at the ceremony as required by Covid restrictions, the spokesperson said.
The Catholic Church requires at least one parent to practice the faith in order to baptize a child. Johnson was baptized a Catholic, but was confirmed in the Church of England, in fact converting to Anglicanism, when he was at Eton, although he has never attended church regularly. The Catholicism of his partner Carrie Symonds was not well known until now.
Italian newspaper La Repubblica reported on Johnson’s alleged trip to Italy after Barcelona footballer Luis Suárez flew to Perugia on September 17. The airport issued a press release saying that, in addition to Suarez, Johnson had also arrived there in recent days.
La Repubblica said that after making inquiries about Johnson’s trip, San Francesco d’Assisi airport confirmed that he had landed there during the week before Suárez.
The newspaper quoted a member of the airport staff as saying that the British prime minister arrived on September 11 or the day before. Another source said that he had arrived “on Friday, September 11 at 2:00 p.m. and left on Monday, September 14 at 7:45 a.m.”
A Downing Street spokesperson said: “This story is completely false. The prime minister has not traveled to Italy in recent months. Anyone who posts these claims is repeating a falsehood. “
The claim that Johnson made a seemingly covert visit to Perugia would be considered especially intriguing given that he has done so before. In April 2018, while he was foreign secretary, Johnson was photographed looking somewhat scruffy at the San Francesco d’Assisi airport.
It was learned that Johnson had stayed at Palazzo Terranova, a restored castle owned by media and social billionaire Evgeny Lebedev, known for hosting lavish parties.
Photos of Johnson at the airport suggested he went to Italy without a police escort. According to another passenger on the flight back to the UK, Johnson was alone, apparently without luggage and much worse from wear and tear. – Guardian News and Media
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