Boris Johnson Uses Foul Talk to Snub Business Concerns over Brexit, Report Claims
UK Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson has used an offensive “four-letter word” to dismiss concerns raised by British business leaders over Brexit, according to a report.
Johnson uttered the offensive comment during a Foreign Office reception at Lancaster House to celebrate the Queen’s birthday, according to a report by The Daily Telegraph.
“F*** business!” Boris Johnson allegedly replied when asked by Rudolf Huygelen, Belgium’s Ambassador to the EU, about the concerns and needs of British business after Brexit, the UK’s upcoming exit from the European Union.
The reports about Johnson’s foul language reaction have come against the backdrop of warnings by industrial giants such as Airbus, BMW, and Siemens that they might scale down very tangibly their operations in the UK because of uncertainties over Brexit.
When asked about British Prime Minister Theresa May’s support for a softer Brexit, Johnson also allegedly said, “We will fight it [soft Brexit] and we will win.”
Reports in the British press also allege that in his private conversations at the event, the UK Foreign Secretary also declared that the UK was more divided now than at any point since the English Civil War.
The Daily Mail cites a source close to Johnson as saying that the Foreign Secretary had “no recollection” of making the foul language comment in question – a statement actually interpreted as meaning that Johnson does not deny saying what he is accused of.
The source further points out that Boris Johnson has been attacking leading UK business organizations such as the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) as pro-EU lobbyist.
“No one has done more to back hard-working British businesses than Boris. He was attacking lobbyists like the EU-funded CBI, who are more interested in doing what’s right for big multinational corporations instead of helping ordinary working Brits,” the source is quoted as saying.
Josh Hardie, CBI deputy director-general, has reacted to Johnson’s comments by forecasting that more companies are going to speak out like Airbus, BMW and Siemens as the risk of a “no deal” Brexit is growing.
“March 2019 is not far away. Companies are being forced to prepare for the reality of a cliff edge and we could see more statements like this if negotiations continue as they are,” Hardie has added.
(Banner image: Flickr)