Boris Johnson: Starmer the ‘manacled gimp of Brussels’ after ‘one-sided’ EU trade deal
Boris Johnson has slammed Sir Keir Starmer as an “orange ball-chewing manacled gimp of Brussels”, in a colourful post on X.
The former Prime Minister repeatedly referred to his Labour successor as “two-tier Keir”, suggesting that the “hopelessly one sided” deal would render the UK “the non-voting punk of the EU Commission”.
The intervention follows the announcement of a ‘reset’, in a joint appearance from Starmer and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen at Lancaster House.
The talks were part of a routine five year review of the UK-EU trade and cooperation agreement, which was signed in 2020 as Britain left the trading bloc, though Starmer has hailed the new deal as a major reset.
Johnson said: “[Starmer] has sacrificed UK fishing interests, handing over our seas to be plundered again – when under the current Brexit agreement we are on the point of taking back full legal control, next year, of every fish in our waters.
“He is clearly bent on signing up to a deal on free movement which could give 80 million younger EU nationals the right to come to this country. He appears from this document to be preparing to allow the EU to regain control of UK policy on state aids and competition.”
He added: “This deal should not be signed, should not be ratified and should never come into force and if it is the next Conservative government should kick it out forthwith.”
Johnson was removed as Prime Minister in July 2022, after a record number of ministerial resignations following a succession of sleaze scandals.
Fishy business
Opposition parties have zeroed in on the concessions around fishing as the central attack on the new deal.
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage said of the deal ahead of the announcement: “If true that will be the end of the fishing industry”. Meanwhile, his deputy Richard Tice said “Starmer has surrendered – lock, stock and barrel.”
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has said that the deal is “very concerning”, and that the UK is “becoming a rule-taker from Brussels once again”.
Andrew Griffith, Shadow Trade Secretary, told City AM: “Tying the UK back into a bloc with 27 other countries would be to pour concrete on our own feet.
“The successful countries of the future will be those which are agile: able to respond fast and embrace new developments.”