James O'Brien highlights 'uncanny' similarities between Johnson's Partygate defence and 'The Narcissist's Prayer'

23 March 2023, 15:01

James O'Brien on similarities between Johnson's Partygate defence and 'The Narcissist's Prayer'

By Phoebe Dampare Osei

After Boris Johnson faced the Privileges Committee yesterday to continue his defence over Partygate, James O'Brien pointed out the links between the former Prime Minister's eventual admission that he was at "gatherings" and 'The Narcissist's Prayer'.

James O'Brien started: "Johnson never behaved as if he cared about being caught."

"When LBC was at Grays Inn Road, he was having his affair with Petronella Wyatt - you used to see them sitting in the basement of Pret a Manger just around the corner from the office.

"Literally, everybody knew - he didn't care at all about being caught," he added.

"Then when you are caught you somehow persuade the person that you've betrayed that they haven't been betrayed. Is that how it works, is that 'The Narcissist's Prayer'?" James asked.

LBC: James O'Brien's obliterative monologue on Boris Johnson and his supporters

The 'prayer' by Dayna Craig reads:

That didn't happen.

And if it did, it wasn't that bad.

And if it was, that's not a big deal.

And if it is, that's not my fault.

And if it was, I didn't mean it.

And if I did, you deserved it.

"Good God this is uncanny!" James exclaimed, listing denial, invalidating, gaslighting, blame-shifting accountability issues and guilt-tripping as key examples of narcissistic behaviour.

Andrew Marr's excoriating monologue on Boris Johnson's Partygate defence

James noticed "the first line of the Partygate saga" was that "it didn't happen", followed by Johnson describing the events as "gatherings" rather than parties so that they didn't seem so bad.

The former Prime Minister has since admitted that he did mislead Parliament over the events during lockdown and social distancing restrictions, but says he acted in "good faith".