Deflection - the standard Tory-weasel tactic.

They’d do far better, and do their voters a far bigger favour, by writing to Johnson asking him to stop putting them in the difficult and embarrassing position of having to defend his shameless, bare-faced lies when they meet members of the public during their campaign.

The Official Conservative Mouthpiece - the BBC - is having to apologise for aiding and abetting him in his non-stop deceit...

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/boris-johnson-laughing-question-time-video-edited-general-election-a9217141.html?