Nadine Dorries Suggests Boris Johnson Wasn’t Booed That Much And It’s Not Helping

Nadine Dorries has leapt to the defence of Boris Johnson after he received a bracing reception from the public at a Platinum Jubilee service – but the culture secretary’s loyalty appears to have been counter-productive.

The prime minister faced boos – and a smattering of cheers – as he walked up the St Paul’s Cathedral steps with wife Carrie Johnson to attend the service of thanksgiving for the Queen on Friday.

As BBC presenter Jane Hill, who was standing yards away, noted: “There is quite a lot of booing, actually. A substantial amount.”

American broadcaster CBS tracked the incident from another angle.

And it was arguably worse on the way out.

The online mockery appeared to prompt Dorries to weigh in, with the Cabinet minister in charge of the media taking umbrage with a headline published by The Times that read: “Queen’s thanksgiving service: Boos and jeers for Boris Johnson outside St Paul’s.”

She wrote: “There were far, far more cheers, but that doesn’t make a good headline does it.”

The Times, seen by many as the UK’s national newspaper of record, replied brutally with an emoji, a video and poll.

Dorries found very little support on the platform that she aired the grievance.