Boris and Petronella. This is News?

They suggested that Mr Johnson had been less than frank with the Tory leader when newspaper stories about his allegedly having had an affair with Petronella Wyatt, a fellow Spectator journalist, broke last weekend. Tabloid reports claimed that Mr Johnson, 40, who is married with four young children, had been involved in a long-term relationship with Ms Wyatt, 35, the daughter of the late peer, Woodrow Wyatt.

Leave aside the politician's guff, the "he didn't tell the truth to Howard" angle (when is anyone surprised at a pol not telling the whole truth and nothing but the truth?). Leave aside also whether such personal behaviour has anything at all to do with suitability for a political post. This is News? I live in Portugal, well out of the London gossip mill and I've known about this affair for a couple of years. So obviously the tabloids have known for ages as well. Why break the story now? What's changed and why clip Boris' wings now?