Shapps apologises for airbrushing Boris Johnson out of Twitter photo

Grant Shapps has apologised for “inadvertently” airbrushing former prime minister Boris Johnson out of a photo celebrating a space launch in Cornwall.

The Business Secretary claimed he told staff Mr Johnson needed “hair-brushing, not airbrushing” from the tweet, as the former prime minister asked a question in the Commons.

However, while Mr Shapps’ photo portrayed him alone during a visit to LauncherOne in Cornwall, the earlier image showed him alongside Mr Johnson.

The original photo remains on the Number 10 Flickr account, dated June 9 2021.

It shows the then-Conservative leader wearing a jacket emblazoned with the words “Prime Minister”.

Mr Shapps is pictured standing side by side with him, wearing a jacket labelled with his then-office of “Transport Secretary”.

The Business Secretary subsequently deleted the tweet in which the edited photo appeared.

A source close to Mr Shapps previously said he “wasn’t aware anyone had edited the picture”, but at Beis questions he apologised over the incident.

Mr Johnson asked: “Does he agree that… now is the time to exploit this country’s technological lead and build a fleet of small modular nuclear reactors as part of our Great British Nuclear programme?

“And while I am at it, is it not time the Labour Party apologised for 13 years of bone-headed hostility to any new nuclear power in this country?”

Mr Shapps responded: “I think it is fitting if I start with the apology, because I saw that I inadvertently airbrushed him out of a picture on Twitter last week.

“I think my team were confused. I simply told the team he needs hair-brushing, not airbrushing.

“No-one did more to progress space than him as prime minister, and although that space launch wasn’t successful, it is, I know the start of a very important new sector for this country.”

The minister added: “On his point about small modular reactors he is absolutely right, we will be announcing the creation of Great British Nuclear very shortly and small modular reactors, Rolls-Royce and the others, play an amazingly important part in this nuclear mix which will get back us up to 25% of our power from nuclear.”

Last week’s launch attempt ended in failure after suffering an “anomaly” during the flight.