Johnson: I may have to give up day job

Boris Johnson may have to choose between being the editor of The Spectator and his position as culture spokesman on the Conservative front bench. Mr Johnson is to visit Liverpool this week to apologise for a leading article in his magazine accusing Liverpudlians of "wallowing" in a victim culture after the killing of the hostage Ken Bigley in Iraq.

Boris Johnson may have to choose between being the editor of The Spectator and his position as culture spokesman on the Conservative front bench. Mr Johnson is to visit Liverpool this week to apologise for a leading article in his magazine accusing Liverpudlians of "wallowing" in a victim culture after the killing of the hostage Ken Bigley in Iraq.

Michael Howard, the Tory leader, ordered Mr Johnson to visit the city after furious protests.

Mr Johnson told the London Evening Standard of his two roles: "It may be that the horses have diverged too far and I cannot continue to ride them both. It's obviously difficult sometimes, no doubt about it. It may be that I will be fired anyway."

A senior Tory figure said: "He will have to think whether he can edit The Spectator and be a frontbench spokesman. It's very difficult to do both."

Mr Howard defended Mr Johnson's appointment in a speech to newspaper editors in Newcastle upon Tyne yesterday. He said: "I think he is a good shadow Arts minister and I think the appropriate thing for him to do was go to Liverpool and apologise."

The message from the city yesterday was, however, "don't bother". The council's leader, Mike Storey, said: "He made some outrageous comments about Liverpool people. He's chosen to apologise and we've accepted that. The last thing in the world the Bigley family wants is any more media attention."

The Spectator article compared recent events to the Hillsborough disaster, in which 96 football fans died. Phil Hammond, chairman of the Hillsborough Family support group, said: "I don't know why he's saying sorry. He doesn't mean it and the damage is already done. Coming up to Liverpool isn't going to change a thing. If he's got any sense he'll stay away."