Boris Johnson was branded a ‘circus act’ by his former deputy yesterday after it emerged he had accused the French of acting like ‘turds’ over Brexit.
The former foreign secretary faced a backlash yesterday after the Daily Mail revealed he had been recorded making the crude remark as part of a fly-on-the-wall documentary.
BBC sources and a leaked Whitehall memo revealed that the corporation agreed to cut out the slur after the Foreign Office complained it could damage Anglo-French relations at a sensitive time.
An inquiry has now been launched into why the corporation had bowed to political pressure, with one source warning the decision would ‘give ammunition’ to critics who say it ‘kowtows to the Government too often’.
The timing of the revelation has raised eyebrows in Westminster because it came as Mr Hunt, the current Foreign Secretary, is locked in an intense battle with Mr Johnson, his predecessor, for the keys to 10 Downing Street.
Boris Johnson, pictured today addressing Tory members in Somerset, answered ‘well I never’ when it was suggested to him that his ‘turds’ remark may have been leaked by the Foreign Office
It was suggested to Mr Johnson at a hustings event in Exeter that he may have been the subject of a leak from the Foreign Office and he replied ‘bien je jamais’ which roughly translates as ‘well I never’.
Mr Johnson said he could not remember making the ‘turds’ remark but his critics said it demonstrated he should not be the next prime minister.
Sir Alan Duncan, the Foreign Office Minister and supporter of Mr Hunt, described Mr Johnson as a ‘circus act’ and said he was not ‘serious’ enough to be PM.
Mr Johnson appeared to make light of the comment when he was asked today whether he had ever offended the French while in government.
Supporters of Jeremy Hunt, pictured today eating a scone in Dartmouth, said Mr Johnson’s comment about the French demonstrated he was not fit to be PM
Standing with supporters and alongside his father Stanley Johnson, the favourite for Number 10 replied ‘pas du tout’ – French for ‘not at all’.
He later told the hustings event event: ‘I have no recollection of this comment but I noticed that it… it’s not very well sourced this story, but anyway.’
LBC presenter Iain Dale then suggested Mr Johnson may have been the victim of a leak from the Foreign Office.
He replied: ‘I think, look, the serious question perhaps underlying all this, and perhaps what everyone will want to know is, can I get a fantastic deal for our country from our French friends, can we go forwards in a friendly, collegiate way, and yes, of course we can.’
Sources close to Mr Hunt said suggestions the comment had been leaked by his campaign were not true.
It came as Theresa May refused to say whether she knew that Mr Johnson had uttered the crude remark as she warned whoever succeeds her they will have to work with the EU to get a deal over the line.
May and Putin clash over Salisbury spy attack
Theresa May and Vladimir Putin held the frostiest of meetings today at the G20 in Japan as a planned showdown over the Salisbury spy attack was overshadowed by the Russian president’s scathing attack on the West.
The stage had already been set for a particularly sour showdown after the Russian President criticised Western views on gay rights, immigration and multiculturalism.
But the meeting got off to an even worse than expected start as an indignant and stony-faced Mrs May, seemingly furious at Mr Putin’s assault on European ‘liberalism’, barely looked at her opposite number as they shook hands.
Mrs May told the Russian leader ‘there cannot be a normalisation of our bilateral relationship until Russia stops the irresponsible and destabilising activity’, Downing Street said after the meeting had finished.
The comment has reignited questions about Mr Johnson’s suitability to be the next prime minister and is the latest in a series of controversial things he has said.
Mrs May was grilled about her potential successor as she conducted interviews in Osaka, Japan as she attended a G20 summit.
Asked directly by ITV if she was aware that Mr Johnson had called the French ‘turds’, she replied: ‘I believe that whoever succeeds me as leader is going to be working with the European Union and with our Parliament to find a way through this to ensure that we can do what we wish to do, which is deliver on the vote of the British people.’
Pushed again on whether she was aware of the comment having been made at the time, she said: ‘What I believe whoever takes over will be doing is ensuring that they can work with the EU and with our Parliament to find a way through.’
The ‘turds’ comment had been due to be broadcast in a documentary about life at the Foreign Office which was shown on BBC Two in November last year.
The Foreign Office apparently asked for it to be cut, with a leaked Whitehall memo suggesting the remark would make Anglo-French relations ‘awkward’.
Senior diplomats had also privately expressed concerns that it could make it harder for the UK to get a good Brexit deal.
Mr Johnson had resigned as foreign secretary in protest at Mrs May’s Brexit plan before the show went to air.
Sir Alan previously revealed that he had been described as Mr Johnson’s ‘pooper scooper’ by a European colleague because he was viewed on the continent as having to constantly clean up after his boss.
Sir Alan told the BBC this morning that he got used to ‘diplomatically awkward’ moments while serving under Mr Johnson as he suggested the favourite to win the keys to Downing Street would not be taken seriously by other countries.
Talking about the ‘pooper scooper’ comment, Sir Alan said: ‘A European Foreign minister said that to me, described me as such, funny on one level but it takes up a serious point to the difference between the two candidates who are trying to become prime minister.
‘You can have a circus act or you can have a really serious person who does do detail and who is respected in other countries and who will be taken seriously in discussions on whatever topic.’
The Prime Minister, pictured today in Osaka, Japan, delivered a warning to both of the men fighting to succeed her that they will have to work with the EU if they want a better Brexit deal
Boris reveals weight gain woes
Boris Johnson admitted today that his weight has ballooned after hitting the Tory leadership campaign trail as he kicked off the latest party hustings.
The favourite to be the next prime minister draw a laugh as he made the admission to party members in Devon.
Mr Johnson shed the pounds at the start of the year as part of a very noticeable change in image, which he put down to cutting down on drinking.
But asked today to tell the audience in Exeter something they did not already know about him, Mr Johnson replied: ‘My weight. I think the last time I looked it’s gone up again, I think I’m about 15 and a half (stone) again. I was 16 and a half, so I’ve made progress.’
Sir Alan said there had been a significant level of concern within the Foreign Office about the documentary.
‘I do remember that the filming of the documentary was a pretty high octane venture. There were some pretty bumpy moments when we thought ‘ooh, we don’t want that to appear’,’ he said.
‘I imagine that there were discussions between the Foreign Office and the Beeb saying ‘please don’t put that it in … or that, or that, or that, or that’. This was perhaps one of them.’
Mr Johnson previously sparked outcry after it was claimed he had said ‘f*** business’ after he was asked about Brexit business concerns. Mr Johnson has never denied making the remark.
A spokeswoman for the BBC said: ‘The programme set out to reflect the realities of life inside the Foreign Office, the production team made judgments about what was in the programme and they are satisfied that the programme achieves its ambitions and has the content they wanted.’
The Foreign Office declined to comment.
