Boris Johnson accuses Barack Obama of 'outrageous and exorbitant hypocrisy' over EU

[HARDCORE]

This appeared in the London England Newspaper. Mrs. Hardcore

-----------------------------------------
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk...-a6929741.html

News
UK
UK Politics

Boris Johnson accuses Barack Obama of 'outrageous and exorbitant hypocrisy' over EU row
The US president warned Britain will lose influence on the world stage if it quits the 28-member bloc

Agency
March 13, 2016

Barack Obama's intervention in the EU referendum debate is a "piece of outrageous and exorbitant hypocrisy", Boris Johnson has claimed

The US president's warnings that Britain will lose influence on the world stage if it quits the 28-member bloc are also "wholly fallacious", according to the London Mayor.

New York-born Mr Johnson attacked the US for interfering in the debate, when it defends its own sovereignty with "hysterical vigilance".

Downing Street has refused to comment on reports that the US president, who has previously made it clear that America wants its closest ally to remain part of the EU, is heading to the UK next month to make the case to voters.

In his regular Daily Telegraph column, Mr Johnson wrote: "Sometime in the next couple of months we are told that president Obama himself is going to arrive in this country, like some deus ex machina, to pronounce on the matter.

"Air Force One will touch down; a lectern with the presidential seal will be erected. The British people will be told to be good to themselves, to do the right thing. We will be informed by our most important ally that it is in our interests to stay in the EU, no matter how flawed we may feel that organisation to be.

"Never mind the loss of sovereignty; never mind the expense and the bureaucracy and the uncontrolled immigration. The American view is very clear. Whether in code or en clair, the president will tell us all that UK membership of the EU is right for Britain, right for Europe, and right for America; and why?

"Because that - or so we will be told - is the only way we can have 'influence' in the councils of the nations. It is an important argument, and deserves to be taken seriously. I also think it is wholly fallacious - and coming from Uncle Sam it is a piece of outrageous and exorbitant hypocrisy.

"There is no country in the world that defends its own sovereignty with such hysterical vigilance as the United States of America. This is a nation born from its glorious refusal to accept overseas control."

Mr Johnson, meanwhile, has come in for criticism from George Osborne for suggesting Britain could achieve a Canadian-style trade deal. The Chancellor insisted the agreement took seven years to negotiate and tariffs on exports remain in place for cars and beef.

"I hear people saying 'I want Britain to be like Switzerland, I want Britain to be like Norway, I want Britain to be like Canada'. You know what? I want Britain to be like Great Britain'," Mr Osborne told BBC One's Andrew Marr Show.

Mr Osborne also appeared to take a more personal swipe at the mayor, who came in for criticism over his performance during a recent appearance on the programme.

"If people want a politician who is just going to sit here and blather away and not actually do anything, then get someone else," he said.

[Boats]

RE: http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-35625669

Who is Boris Johnson - see Profile below; http://www.bbc.com/news/politics

Boris Johnson's decision to campaign for Britain to leave the EU is being regarded as a huge boost for the Out campaign.

The 51-year-old London mayor has spent more than a decade combining the gravitas of his various roles with an unkempt, humorous persona rarely seen in modern public life.
Prime Minister David Cameron expressed his delight when Mr Johnson announced his decision to run for parliament again in 2015, saying: "I want my star players on the pitch."

But now the MP for Uxbridge and South Ruislip has said he will campaign against the PM in the EU referendum, relations between the two may become more tense.
The big question is whether the blond-haired old Etonian wants simply to play for the team or to captain it.

He has arguably the highest profile of any Conservative except Mr Cameron and is thought by many to harbour an ambition to be prime minister.

David Cameron and Boris JohnsonImage copyrightGetty Images
When he beat Labour's Ken Livingstone to become London mayor in 2008 it was the Tories' first high-profile election success since before Tony Blair's triumphant entry into Downing Street in 1997. He defeated Mr Livingstone again in 2012, giving him even more of a winner's aura.

The hoopla surrounding Mr Johnson broke out again when he ended months of speculation by confirming he would try to return to the Commons as MP for Uxbridge and South Ruislip.

He swept into the safe Conservative London seat in the 2015 general election, taking a spot at the cabinet table as minister without portfolio.

Given the opportunity to enter Downing Street on a fortnightly basis, cycle helmet in hand, was seen as recognition for his unique rapport with voters.

But crucially he is not bound by collective cabinet responsibility, giving him the freedom to rebel against controversial decisions without having to resign.
Boris Johnson boxingImage copyrightGetty Images

Although lauded by Conservative activists for his witty speeches, Euroscepticism and lack of PR polish, Mr Johnson's political life has not been blemish-free.

In 2004 he had to make a visit to Liverpool to apologise for an article in the Spectator magazine, which he then edited. It had criticised the people of the city for their reaction to the death of Ken Bigley, the British contractor taken hostage and killed in Iraq.
The following month he was sacked by Conservative leader Michael Howard for failing to tell the party the truth about claims he had an affair.

He created media hysteria at the 2006 Conservative Party conference when he attacked healthy eating advice advocated by the chef Jamie Oliver. He said he would like to "get rid of [him] and tell people to eat what they like".

Later he provoked anger by describing Portsmouth as "too full of drugs, obesity, underachievement and Labour MPs" and associating Papua New Guinea "with orgies of cannibalism and chief-killing".

The London mayor's life has been as exotic as his use of language.
Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson was born in New York and he held US citizenship until 2006. Descended from Turkish, French and German stock he describes himself as a "one-man melting pot". His great-grandfather, Ali Kemal, briefly served as an interior minister in the Ottoman Empire.

The son of a diplomat and Conservative Member of the European Parliament, he was educated at Eton College, where he was senior to Mr Cameron. There is said to be a sense of resentment on Mr Johnson's part at being overtaken by his younger rival.
At Oxford University, Mr Johnson, who flirted briefly with the centre-left Social Democratic Party, was President of the Union. After only a week as a trainee management consultant he moved to journalism. Fired from the Times for making up a quote, he then worked for the Wolverhampton Express and Star before joining the Daily Telegraph, working as its Brussels correspondent and assistant editor.

In his seven years as MP for the ultra-safe Conservative seat of Henley from 2001 he did not make the shadow cabinet, becoming a party vice-chairman and holding roles as a junior spokesman on education and culture.

His decision to run for London mayor in 2008 added excitement to the contest. However, during the campaign he made a conscious effort to avoid giving reason for accusations of eccentricity. Most Londoners seemed to approve, as he beat Mr Livingstone by 54% to 47%.

Days after his victory he banned alcohol consumption on public transport. A keen cyclist himself, he launched a central London bicycle hire scheme, known colloquially as "Boris bikes", and ditched the "bendy bus" in favour of a new generation of double-deckers.
Although suffering a series of high-profile resignations from City Hall, it was Sir Ian Blair's departure as the Metropolitan Police Commissioner which attracted most controversy. Sir Ian said he was stepping down because of a lack of support from Mr Johnson.

He was in charge when riots hit the capital in the summer of 2011. Initially criticised for taking too long to return from a holiday, he was later praised for his handling of events, including making tours of the affected areas.

Mr Johnson also represented the city when it received its greatest publicity in decades, during the 2012 Olympics. His speeches were well received but he was a little embarrassed when, at one promotional event, he became caught on a zipwire, to the delight of photographers.

In 2011 he told the BBC's Newsnight he did not expect to do "another big job in politics" after leaving the mayoralty. This was not universally accepted at face value.
Mr Johnson has arguably fuelled speculation about his ambitions by continuing to make speeches touching on issues beyond his remit in London, in particular on Europe.
His latest decision means that speculation is guaranteed to continue.