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Irishman heckles PM in Leeds for ‘playing games’

British prime minister Boris Johnson was harangued by a man with a strong Irish accent on a shopping street in Leeds last week for “playing games” with his Brexit strategy.

Mr Johnson was speaking to a BBC television crew in Leeds on Thursday when a man pushing a child in a stroller interrupted the interview.

“You’re playing games with parliament. You’re playing games with the public,” he said, speaking with an Irish accent. “You should be in Brussels negotiating. Where’s the negotiation going on? Where is it? You’re in Morley in Leeds. You should be in Brussels.”

The man claimed in the exchange that the British government’s negotiations with the EU for a new Brexit deal were “going nowhere”.

“Actually that’s not true at all. We are on the verge of getting a deal,” Mr Johnson said in response.

It wasn’t all antagonism aimed at Mr Johnson, however. A crowd had gathered and some people began to argue with Mr Johnson’s Irish challenger.

Mr Johnson turned to the onlookers and said: “Can I just ask people here: do you think we should get out on October 31st?”

In response, many people shouted “Yes” and cheered, while others shouted “No” and booed the new Prime Minister.

In a separate encounter with a member of the public during his trip to Leeds, which went viral on social media, Mr Johnson was told in no uncertain terms to leave Leeds.

Video footage showed the prime minister shaking hands with a man on the street who politely smiled before telling him with a smile: “Please leave my town.”

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“I will very soon,” Mr Johnson replied.


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