Boris Johnson has "ambition dripping from every pore," and has cynically calculated his future leadership ambitions are best served by campaigning for Britain to leave the EU, radio host James O'Brien has said.
O'Brien denounced Johnson during a two-minute tirade on Monday, responding to the news that the London mayor is to advocate Brexit in a boost to the Leave campaign.
O'Brien said: “He’s not really in politics, Boris Johnson, to make your life better."
James O'Brien delivered his searing analysis during his radio show on Monday
He continued: "He’s certainly not in politics to make my life better, Boris Johnson is in politics to make Boris Johnson’s life better.
"First, last and always.
"It’s why he can lie to you about closing London Underground ticket offices if you live here in London like me. An absolute cast iron election pledge that he wouldn’t close any soon there will be none left, none at all left all gone despite a cast iron election pledge.
"Same with firefighters, fire engines. We have fewer fire engines now than before Boris became mayor - we have fewer fires, he would argue.
“He’s not come into politics to make the world a better place for you and me, he’s gone into politics to feed his own ego, to achieve as much as he can achieve in a shorter time as possible.
“So he’s looked at his two cards - his two sixes, shall we say. And he knows they’re not very strong… and he’s made a decision based on entirely personal ambition."
Johnson declared his intention to campaign for Brexit on Sunday
Warming to the theme, O'Brien said: "That personal ambition is more likely to be served by being a senior figure in the Leave camp than sitting on the sidelines.
"This is his last change, his last roll of the dice.
“The ambition has never gone away - ambition dripping from every pore.
“And yet, this is a big gamble."
Watch full video of the rant, above.
Prime Minister David Cameron fired the starting gun on the EU referendum on Saturday, by confirming the date of the poll as 23 June.
Johnson signalled his intentions to campaign for Brexit a day later, drawing criticism for an apparent change of tune. “Everybody in Westminster knows that Boris doesn’t really believe in Out," a source from the "remain" campaign said.