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Ken Clarke slams Boris Johnson for his ability to keep straight face ‘while being so disingenuous’
Ken Clarke slams Boris Johnson. Photograph: Parliament TV. - Credit: Archant
Father of the House Ken Clarke – who has lost his status as a Tory MP – has slammed Boris Johnson moments after his government was defeated on no-deal Brexit.
To cheers from around the Commons, he said: "I found these exchanges quite predictable. I do think the prime minister with the greatest respect has a tremendous skill of keeping a straight face when he's being so disingenuous.
"The fact is he's so desperate to have a election to bring this House's proceedings to an end, to have the election before October 31st, and he's obviously going to campaign before that on the basis he's been thwarted getting an amazing beneficial deal for this country. That he's actually being blocked by wicked continental politicians, politicians and MPs in the House of Commons who have no sense of the national interest, which is to keep him in power.
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"It is wrong to say that the opposition to him is trying to reverse the referendum, a very large percentage of those who have been defeating him in the last few days are prepared to vote for Brexit, they voted for Brexit more often that he has, he caused delay in March and April, when we wished to do so on satisfactory terms.
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