Boris Johnson and Chuka Umunna engaged in a terse public row over the UK’s future within the EU during a radio phone-in.
The Mayor was accused by the Labour MP of entering the debate for Brexit for personal gain, prompting a furious response.
Both men told each other to “man up” as they argued over how many British laws are dictated by Brussels during an LBC radio show on Tuesday morning.
Mr Umunna, who called in to the show as “Chuka from Streatham” told Mr Johnson: “If anybody is talking down our country and has been for some time now it is you.”
After praising Michael Gove’s integrity as a politician, he added: “You bought a circus to your house to make the announcement … what you need to understand this isn’t about you, it’s about our city.”
But the Mayor, who cried “rubbish” as Mr Umunna made his remarks in a telephone call to the studio, spat back: “Nor is it about you quite frankly. I have to say it is very sad that we are being invited to continue to remain in a system that is, I think, less and less democratic.
“All you hear form the remain campaign is gloom and negativity of our chances.”
Needling the Labour MP, who has been working closely with the Britain Stronger in Europe campaign, about comments he allegedly made suggesting that 50 per cent of UK laws are made by the EU, he added: “Don’t weasel around …come on, man up.”
Mr Umunna replied: “No you man up – you’re trying to put words in my mouth”, before his call was ended.
During the same phone-in Mr Johnson also said it is “wrong” to drag the Queen into the EU referendum debate but conceded it would be “plausible” that the monarch “threw a wobbly” at Nick Clegg during their conversation about Europe.
He said: “I can’t comment on those views because I really think Her Majesty the Queen – and I bet our listeners would agree with this – the great thing about her is she is above politics and it is wrong to try and, you know, drag her in.”
Pressed on a report that the Queen had been irritated by a pro-EU “sermon” from Mr Clegg, the Mayor said: “I have to admit that I find that plausible.
“That is a deep truth. The one thing that makes one an absolute raging Eurosceptic is listening to Europhiles droning on about how there’s nothing else we can do and we are locked in this prison and we have got to stay and receive our punishment beatings until kingdom come.
“If she did throw a wobbly in response to a Euro sermon from the former leader of the Liberal Democrats that, I have to say, at a human level, I can understand how she felt.
“But I don’t think that can be taken as authenticating the story.”
Buckingham Palace has made a complaint about a story that appeared in The Sun newspaper which claimed the Queen expressed eurosceptic views during a private meeting in 2011.
Yesterday Chris Grayling, the leader of the House of Commons, said the Government will not launch an inquiry into who leaked the information to the newspaper, amid speculation that Mr Gove may have been behind the story.
[Source:- The Telegraph]
