PM invites Boris to peace summit to defuse tensions ahead of Tory Party conference

Boris Johnson and David Cameron hope to ease tensions after weeks of speculation about Mr Johnson's leadership ambitions

Downing Street is nervous Mr Johnson could outshine Mr Cameron at the conference by giving a speech the day before the Prime Minister



David Cameron will hold a Chequers ‘peace summit’ with London Mayor Boris Johnson today in an attempt to defuse tensions between them ahead of the Tory party conference.

The lunch at the Prime Minister’s country retreat follows weeks of speculation about Mr Johnson’s leadership ambitions in the wake of a triumphant Olympic Games.

The invitation for the gathering – which is Mr Johnson’s first visit to the Buckinghamshire house and, unusually, will feature only the two men and their wives Samantha and Marina – was sent a fortnight ago.



Chequers mates: Rivals Boris Johnson (left) and David Cameron (right) will hold a 'peace summit' in an attempt to defuse tensions between them ahead of the Tory party conference

It came after The Mail on Sunday revealed Mr Johnson had held discussions with Tory MP Zac Goldsmith about being parachuted into a Commons seat before the next Election.

The summit has been called to discuss airport policy, the most public source of friction in recent weeks. Mr Johnson is a strong opponent of a third runway at Heathrow and a supporter of a new Thames estuary airport.

Mr Johnson had discussions with Tory MP Zac Goldsmith about being parachuted into a Commons seat before the next Election

He has infuriated No 10 by describing Mr Cameron’s delay in committing to a new runway in the South East as a ‘fudge-orama’.

But the subtext of the summit will be the need to cool the growing sense of rivalry between the Oxford University contemporaries.

Downing Street is nervous that Mr Johnson could outshine Mr Cameron at the party conference in Birmingham by giving a barnstorming speech the day before the Prime Minister.

When the men appeared at Olympics events together the Mayor was received rapturously by crowds chanting his name, while Mr Cameron enjoyed a more muted reception. The Prime Minister has set up the Davis Commission on the future of aviation capacity in the South East, but it will not report until 2015.

Mr Johnson has established a rival inquiry that will be ready in nine months.

Mr Johnson is the bookies’ favourite to succeed Mr Cameron as Conservative leader, with some polls suggesting he is more popular than Mr Cameron.

Mr Johnson denies that he has any interest in running for the job or in returning as an MP before he has finished his term as Mayor of London.

Mr Cameron has also said he will not ‘anoint’ his fellow Old Etonian as the next Prime Minister.

Downing Street is nervous that Mr Johnson could outshine Mr Cameron in the wake of a triumphant Olympic Games



