David Cameron offered Boris Johnson senior Cabinet role if he agreed not to push for Brexit
Cameron tried to keep Johnson on the Remain side by offering him a top Cabinet job. Johnson instead backed Leave, reshaping the 2016 referendum.
Intelligence analysis by GPT-5.4 Mini
A BBC documentary reveals that David Cameron tried to win Boris Johnson over with the promise of a senior Cabinet role, including a possible defence job, if Johnson would support Remain. Johnson ultimately chose Brexit, a move that Cameron says was a major blow.
A prime minister tried to keep a teammate on his side by promising him a big job, like offering the captain’s armband. But the teammate still picked the other team, and that choice helped change the whole game.
Analysis
What happened
The Guardian says a BBC documentary marking 10 years since Brexit reveals a private effort by David Cameron to keep Boris Johnson onside before the 2016 referendum. Cameron, then prime minister, offered Johnson a senior Cabinet post, described as a “top five” job such as defence secretary, if Johnson backed the campaign to remain in the EU.
The tennis meeting
According to Johnson, the two men met for tennis in early 2016 at the US ambassador’s court near Regent’s Park. Johnson says Cameron invited him to consider joining the Remain campaign and made clear he would be welcome in government. Cameron confirmed the broad account in the documentary, saying he wanted Johnson to understand that he would be “a major part of the government going forward.”
Craig Oliver, Cameron’s communications chief at the time, said the prime minister came back from the match feeling good, both because he had beaten Johnson at tennis and because he thought he might have won a concession.
Why it became a blow
Despite the offer, Johnson announced in February 2016 that he would support leaving the EU. The article says that move changed the terms of the debate and was a major blow to Cameron, who had pleaded with Johnson earlier that day not to align himself with Nigel Farage and George Galloway in backing exit. Michael Gove had already decided to campaign for Leave as well.
The documentary, titled A Very British Civil War, is due to air on 8 June and appears to revisit the referendum through the lens of party splits, personal loyalty, and failed persuasion.
Key points
- Cameron offered Johnson a senior Cabinet role if he supported Remain in the 2016 EU referendum.
- The two discussed Johnson’s position during a tennis meeting in early 2016, according to the documentary.
- Johnson later backed Leave, which Cameron described as a major setback.
- The revelation appears in a BBC documentary about the 10th anniversary of Brexit.
- Michael Gove had already chosen to campaign for Leave at the time.
If the documentary prompts a fuller public understanding of the referendum, it could help explain how major political choices were shaped behind the scenes. That kind of transparency may make future debates about Europe and party leadership more honest.
The story also underlines how deep the split was inside the Conservatives before the Brexit vote. It suggests that even high-level offers of power could not overcome the factional break, reinforcing how hard it was to keep the party unified.
