“No sooner had I posed myself the question – would I sign up to fight for King and country? – than I had the answer. Of course I jolly well would.”
Mr Johnson, who has previously written columns about his struggles with his weight, insisted he had the training required for the military.
He said that from the ages of about 16 to 18 he belonged to the Combined Cadet Force, although conceded to have not at first been “a promising recruit” having failed the Empire Test, which involved safely cleaning, loading and firing a particular rifle.
“I caused my platoon to spend a very wet and cold night in the open on Salisbury Plain, guarding what turned out to be the wrong pylon,” he added, as well as describing his own performance at drill as “chaotic”.
Despite this Mr Johnson, who resigned as an MP over the partygate report which was investigating whether he misled Parliament when he told MPs that there had been no lockdown parties in Downing Street, claimed that overall the level of discipline in the training did him “a power of good”.
He added: “So you betcha – if it really came to it, I would be there in the dugout with General Sanders, and I bet there are many readers who feel the same.”
William Turner is a seasoned U.K. correspondent with a deep understanding of domestic affairs. With a passion for British politics and culture, he provides insightful analysis and comprehensive coverage of events within the United Kingdom.
