Cameron offered johnson cabinet post in exchange for brexit support – a secret deal revealed

A bombshell revelation has emerged, exposing a clandestine deal between David Cameron and Boris Johnson during the tumultuous lead-up to the 2016 Brexit referendum. The former Prime Minister reportedly offered Johnson a senior Cabinet position – specifically, a ‘top five’ role like Defence Secretary – in exchange for his support to remain in the European Union.

A tennis match and a mysterious job offer

According to Cameron’s own account, documented in a forthcoming BBC retrospective – ‘A Very British Civil War’ – the offer transpired during a seemingly casual tennis match with Johnson at the US Ambassador’s court in Regent’s Park in early 2016. As Cameron recounted, Johnson initially expressed bewilderment at the proposition: ‘He then said: ‘Look, would you consider joining us on the remain campaign? It’d be much better if … I’d love to have you in the Cabinet. You should have a top five job. And I wasn’t sure what the exact hierarchy was. I obviously thought about it out of pure curiosity, what was this job?’’

The details remain shrouded in ambiguity, with Cameron deliberately withholding the precise title of the position. He stated his intention was to ‘understand that he would be a major part of the government going forward,’ and that he valued Johnson’s contribution.

A betrayal that defined the campaign

This move to offer a high-profile role to Johnson, despite his eventual shift to campaigning for Leave, underscores the intense strategic maneuvering surrounding the referendum. Cameron’s attempt to leverage Johnson’s influence – a relationship that had long been characterized by rivalry – ultimately backfired spectacularly. As Craig Oliver, Cameron’s then-Director of Communications, noted, the former Prime Minister left the match ‘feeling doubly good,’ having both ‘beaten Boris Johnson at tennis, and that he may have a concession that he would actually join the government.’

However, Johnson’s decision to wholeheartedly embrace Brexit, a move that directly contradicted Cameron’s initial proposal, further fueled the divisions within the Conservative party. Michael Gove’s simultaneous endorsement of leaving, coupled with Cameron’s own earlier plea to avoid “linking arms” with figures like Nigel Farage, created a deeply fractured landscape. The fallout from this secret agreement – and the subsequent betrayal – continues to cast a long shadow over British Politics.

The full story, including Cameron’s reflections, will be broadcast on June 8th in the BBC’s two-part documentary, ‘A Very British Civil War.’