The tense exchange came after it was reported that Ms Davidson will declare independence from her United Kingdom party if Mr Johnson becomes leader. Johnson first made a name for himself as a journalist in Brussels for The Daily Telegraph, where he specialized in scathing stories about the supposed waste and inefficiency of the European Union bureaucracy.
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He added: “I don’t know which way it will go but I hope people think about it hard and come down for leaving”.
Brandishing a taxpayer-funded leaflet from Leave campaigners showing Turkey on a map, but only naming neighbouring countries Iraq and Syria, the Labour politician said: “That’s scaremongering, Boris – you should be ashamed”.
Johnson has been named as a possible replacement for Prime Minister David Cameron.
Mr Cameron, flanked by wife Samantha, made an at times emotional address on the steps of Downing Street as he announced his resignation.
“If I had to sum up this entire campaign in a word, it would be that word “together”.
Boris Johnson and Ruth Davidson gave closing statements summarising the arguments of the Vote Leave and Vote Remain campaigns at the end of the Great Debate.
Mr Cameron, who will hit the campaign trail for a final time to squeeze out every last Remain vote with the outcome of the referendum on a knife-edge, said immigration needs to be handled with care because Britain is “arguably the most successful multi-ethnic, multi-faith, opportunity democracy anywhere on earth”. “You deserve the truth”, Davidson said.
Mr Johnson threw the criticism back at his Labour successor, saying the pro-EU side had conducted “Project Hate”. That’s their choice, I think it was a mistake because I don’t think people believe it any more.
Mr Johnson, who was mayor of London from 2008 until May this year, sought to reassure people about the UK’s future after the Brexit vote, saying “nothing would change over the short term” and there was “no haste” in triggering the legal process for exit talks.
Johnson is said to muss his mop of blond hair before public speeches, giving him his trademark unkempt appearance, and is not afraid of being laughed at – or even of appearing buffoonish.
“Obviously we are coming to the final 24 hours”.
In Gimson’s estimation though, Johnson succeeded in upstaging Cameron during the Games, London’s big moment on the global stage. It would be “democratically unacceptable” to drag Scotland out of the European Union against its will, she said, after 62 per cent of Scots backed Remain.
Sacked from the Times newspaper as a cub reporter for making up a quote, and fired as a Conservative spokesman for lying over an extra-marital affair in 2004, Johnson has a colourful past which might have fatally damaged other politicians.
Speaking to the BBC, he said “We are not shackled to a corpse”. Other contenders include Justice Secretary Michael Gove, who has told the Telegraph he doesn’t want the role, as well as Finance Minister George Osborne, Home Secretary Theresa May, Work and Pensions Secretary Stephen Crabb and Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson. “If you believe in Britain vote Leave”.
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By disposition, the Oxford-educated former journalist is a “maverick – a man who can’t see an apple cart without wanting to overturn it”, said Andrew Gimson, author of a biography on the 52-year-old. “But I would offer him this piece of advice: If the Leave campaign led by Boris continue to divide the Conservative Party as they are doing at the present time, and if Boris has the laudable ambition to become prime minister, he will find if he achieves that he will not have the loyalty of the party he divided”. “He acts like a buffoon, but he is not”.
