Boris Johnson under pressure to explain police incident

Boris Johnson, the front-runner in the race to become Britain's next prime minister, was facing mounting calls Sunday to fully explain an incident in which police attended an alleged altercation at the London home he shares with his girlfriend. Johnson ducked repeated questions during a leadership hustings in Birmingham the day before. Questioned by journalists he said: "I don't think they want hear about that kind of thing," prompting applause from party members. "I think what they want to hear is what my plans are for the country and the party." Jeremy Hunt, Johnson's rival for leadership of the Conservative Party, said in a piece for The Times of London on Monday that he was not interested in Johnson's private life, but challenged his opponent to provide an explanation to the public about both his policies and the incident. "Scrutiny of the candidates matters. One of the strengths of our system is that we scrutinise our politicians with more intelligent ferocity than anywhere in the world," Hunt wrote. "Don't be a coward Boris, man up and show the nation you can cope with the intense scrutiny the most difficult job in the country will involve." International Trade Secretary Liam Fox told the BBC that while Johnson's private life "does not concern me," he added: "I think it is always easier to just give an explanation." Former Conservative Foreign Secretary Malcolm Rifkind also told the BBC: "If you are a candidate to be prime minister and the police have been called to your house -- fairly or unfairly -- the fact is there was a police visit. You don't just say 'no comment.' "That implies you may have something you don't want to disclose."