Tory insiders scotch Johnson’s Westminster dynasty hopes

While rank-and-file Tories celebrate yesterday's victory in Crewe, the party's high command is turning its attention to the next by-election, Boris Johnson's Henley seat, a contest they now intend staging in June or July. The constituency has still to select a candidate; however, one person who is definitely not going to be among the runners is Stanley Johnson, Boris's 67-year-old father.

The First Post has learnt that Tory leader David Cameron is adamant that Stanley, 67 (right, with Boris and daughter Rachel) will not inherit his son's effortlessly winnable seat (majority: 12,000), as had been suggested by Johnson Senior and talked up in the press.

Thus far, Boris has remained discreetly quiet on the subject, fearing perhaps that any endorsement from him might reek of some inverted form of the hereditary principle. However, sources close to the new London mayor say there is nothing he would like more than for his father to go forward as a candidate.

Stanley himself, a former MEP who stood in Teignbridge unsuccessfully at the 2005 general election, has made no secret of his hopes to represent Henley, the one-time seat of Michael Heseltine. When asked recently if he intended putting himself forward, he said: "I don't see why I shouldn't."

But Cameron does. Says a Westminster insider: "Why would he want Johnson at Henley? It's a safe seat for life. If anyone is going to get it, it will be a Cameron placeman, a super-candidate. One Johnson in public life is quite enough."

Meanwhile, Boris Johnson's three weeks in office have not blunted his humour. Yesterday he and his spin-doctor Guto Harri were on their bikes leaving Westminster. In front of them, in a car, was Tory leader David Cameron. When they all stopped at a red light, a pedestrian saw Boris and exclaimed: "Oi, aren't you the new mayor?" "Yes," he replied. The pedestrian then said: "And isn't that the leader of the opposition?" "Yes," replied Boris again. "And we're his outriders."