[ad_1]
An Italian airport quashed reports that the British prime minister landed there for a secret trip to the country less than a fortnight ago, a claim described by Downing Street as “completely false.”
Citing unidentified sources, La Repubblica and Umbria 24 reported Sunday that Johnson landed in Perugia on September 11 and left on September 14. The story emerged after the airport issued a statement on Sept. 17 boasting of the arrivals of a host of prominent personalities, including Boris Johnson and former Prime Minister Tony Blair “in recent days.”
Issue 10 issued a firm rebuttal to the report Monday morning, saying Johnson had met with Conservative MPs through Zoom on Friday, September 11, and had attended his son’s baptism service on Saturday, September 12.
The president of Perugia’s San Francesco d’Assisi airport said Monday afternoon that there had been a “mistake” in the previous communication and that Johnson did not land there recently.
“Not at all, it didn’t land in Perugia recently. In recent years, yes, it happened, but not recently, ”Stefano Panato told The Guardian. “I’ve gone through the records and talked to people, this is the official denial.”
Panato said newspaper sources may have mistaken Blair for Johnson. “Tony Blair arrived on the 13th and left on the 14th. Someone said the British Prime Minister had passed, but the British Prime Minister is no longer Tony Blair,” he said.
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 inquiring about Johnson’s trip, the airport confirmed that he had landed there during the week before Suarez arrived.
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 had 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. “
A Westminster Cathedral spokesman confirmed that baby Wilfred was baptized into the Catholic Church in a private service on Sept. 12 by Daniel Humphreys. 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.
The claim that Johnson made a seemingly covert visit to Perugia was especially intriguing, as he had 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
[ad_2]