Johnson denies allegations of patronage, groping

MANCHESTER, England -- U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson battled to fend off allegations of improper patronage and groping a woman as he prepared a final push Monday to fulfill his pledge to lead his country out of the European Union in just more than a month -- and, he hopes, move British politics beyond its fracture over Europe.

Johnson sought to energize Conservative members and lawmakers -- weary after three years of Brexit gridlock -- at the party's annual conference, but he was forced to deny a journalist's claim he had grabbed her thigh at a private lunch two decades ago.

Sunday Times columnist Charlotte Edwardes said the incident took place when she worked at The Spectator, a conservative newsmagazine, while Johnson was its editor.

Asked whether the allegation was true, Johnson said: "No."

Edwardes stood by her story, tweeting: "If the prime minister doesn't recollect the incident then clearly I have a better memory than he does."

Johnson also is under scrutiny for claims an American businesswoman, Jennifer Arcuri, received money and perks from London coffers while Johnson was mayor of the capital between 2008 and 2016.

He denies any wrongdoing involving Arcuri, who was given grants and places on overseas trade trips for her small tech startup, saying everything was done "with full propriety." The case has been referred to Britain's police watchdog, which will decide whether to investigate Johnson for misconduct in public office.

Johnson, who took over as Conservative leader and prime minister from Theresa May two months ago, has vowed Britain will leave the European Union on the scheduled date of Oct. 31 with or without a divorce deal governing future relations with the bloc. His foes in Parliament -- who include some longtime members of his own party -- are determined to avoid a no-deal exit, which economists say would disrupt trade with the EU and plunge Britain into recession.

Legislators have already passed a law compelling the government to seek a delay to Brexit if it can't strike a deal with the EU by Oct. 19. But with Johnson saying he would rather be "dead in a ditch" than postpone Britain's departure, opposition parties are seeking ways to make sure he complies.

Opposition leaders held a strategy meeting Monday in London, with no definitive conclusion. They ruled out an immediate attempt to topple the government with a no-confidence vote. That could trigger an election, but not until after Oct. 31.

Jo Swinson, leader of the centrist Liberal Democrats, said the parties would continue to meet "to plan out different scenarios and different options, including the possibility of an insurance option of a government of national unity" if Johnson's government was brought down by lawmakers.

The personal allegations against Johnson overshadowed the Conservative Party's four-day annual conference in the northwestern England city of Manchester, where Johnson is trying to rally the party -- and prepare for an election that could come within weeks -- under the slogan "Get Brexit Done."

Billboards around the cavernous Manchester convention center promised a bright future in which Britain is no longer consumed and divided by Brexit: "Get Brexit done -- invest in schools and police."