Starmer shows true colours in scathing attack on Boris Johnson

Boris Johnson: TalkTV tease interview with Nadine Dorries

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Sir Keir Starmer launched a scathing attack on Boris Johnson, admitting his “loathing” of the former Prime Minister. The Labour leader nicknamed Mr Johnson “Crasheroonie Snoozefest”. Speaking at a recording of comedian Matt Forde’s Political Party podcast on Monday, Sir Keir was quoted by Politico’s London Playbook as having said: “Is there anybody who’s had any relationship with Johnson — you know, in any sense of the word — who hasn’t ended up in the gutter?”

He said he had a much more functional working relationship with Rishi Sunak, saying: “He phoned me the day he became Prime minister, gave me his personal number, and we said we would work together on things like Ukraine and if there was a terrorist incident.”

But he clarified: “We’re not texting about the Southampton/Arsenal scores.”

Earlier this week, one of Mr Johnson’s allies Guto Harri said the former Chancellor George Osborne also “loathes” Mr Johnson, saying the two have “deep rivalry”.

The former No 10 communications chief told the NewsAgents podcast:”[George Osborne] loathes Boris Johnson, because they were both rivals, and they both wanted to be Prime Minister and Boris became Prime Minister and George did not.

“And at the Olympics in 2012, 60,000 people lined up in Hyde Park to chant Boris, and George Osborne went to the Olympic Stadium and got booed. So, this is a deep rivalry.”

This came after Mr Osborne accused Mr Johnson of trying to bring down Rishi Sunak over Brexit.

Over the weekend, Mr Johnson reminded the Prime Minister – who is currently locked in controversial talks with the EU – of the existence of his Northern Ireland Protocol Bill, which could torpedo the hated legislation.

A source close to the former PM said it was his view that “it would be a great mistake to drop the Northern Ireland protocol bill”.

Leading Brexiteers threw their weight behind Mr Johnson, with House of Commons Leader Penny Mordaunt saying his latest move was a “helpful” contribution as there is “there’s still a lot to be done” to secure a deal over the Northern Ireland Protocol.

Responding to Mr Johnson’s intervention, Ms Mordaunt said: “Boris is being Boris. I wouldn’t say this is a completely unhelpful intervention.

“The Prime Minister will acknowledge that having the Northern Ireland Protocol Bill there, having the work that the former Prime Minister did, has helped us get where we are.

“But it has always been our preference to try and have a negotiated settlement and that is what everyone is working to. There’s still a lot to be done.”

Tory MP Marco Longhi backed the intervention, telling the Daily Express the UK should use “every negotiating card” at its disposal in order to achieve a good deal.

Meanwhile, fellow Conservative MP Ben Bradley said Mr Johnson was “right” to intervene but accepted that “everything he says will be seen as an attack” on Mr Sunak.

Home Secretary Suella Braverman also weighed in on the issue, saying that the Northern Ireland Protocol Bill is one of the “biggest tools we have in solving problems on the Irish Sea”.

Mr Longhi said: “As a strong Brexiteer, I’m glad that leading politicians like Boris and Penny Mordaunt have emphasised how important it is that we maintain a strong position with the EU.

“We have seen ample examples of it being one-way traffic with the EU, their way or no way, so we should use and maintain every negotiating card that a sovereign nation should have.”

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