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| Boris Johnson suggests 'part-Kenyan' Obama may have an 'ancestral dislike' of Britain | Boris Johnson suggests 'part-Kenyan' Obama may have an 'ancestral dislike' of Britain |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Boris Johnson has criticised the US president Barack Obama and suggested his attitude to Britain might be based on his “part-Kenyan” heritage and “ancestral dislike of the British empire”. | Boris Johnson has criticised the US president Barack Obama and suggested his attitude to Britain might be based on his “part-Kenyan” heritage and “ancestral dislike of the British empire”. |
| Writing a column for The Sun newspaper the outgoing Mayor of London recounted a story about a bust of Winston Churchill purportedly being removed from White House. | Writing a column for The Sun newspaper the outgoing Mayor of London recounted a story about a bust of Winston Churchill purportedly being removed from White House. |
| “Some said it was a snub to Britain. Some said it was a symbol of the part-Kenyan President’s ancestral dislike of the British empire – of which Churchill had been such a fervent defender,” he wrote. | “Some said it was a snub to Britain. Some said it was a symbol of the part-Kenyan President’s ancestral dislike of the British empire – of which Churchill had been such a fervent defender,” he wrote. |
| The story itself about the bust being removed is false: the White House clarified in 2012 that it has been moved to the President’s private residence elsewhere in the building. | The story itself about the bust being removed is false: the White House clarified in 2012 that it has been moved to the President’s private residence elsewhere in the building. |
| “This is 100 per cent false. The bust still in the White House. In the Residence. Outside the Treaty Room,” a spokesperson for the White House said at the time it debunked the rumour. | “This is 100 per cent false. The bust still in the White House. In the Residence. Outside the Treaty Room,” a spokesperson for the White House said at the time it debunked the rumour. |
| The Mayor said that the US would never dream of engaging in an arragement similar to the EU. | The Mayor said that the US would never dream of engaging in an arragement similar to the EU. |
| “It is deeply anti-democratic – and much as I admire the United States, and much as I respect the President, I believe he must admit that his country would not dream of embroiling itself in anything of the kind,” he said. | “It is deeply anti-democratic – and much as I admire the United States, and much as I respect the President, I believe he must admit that his country would not dream of embroiling itself in anything of the kind,” he said. |
| Conservative MP Nicholas Soames, who is the grandson of the late Sir Winston Churchill, was not impressed by the comment piece. | Conservative MP Nicholas Soames, who is the grandson of the late Sir Winston Churchill, was not impressed by the comment piece. |
| “Appalling article by Boris Johnson in [The] Sun, totally wrong on almost everything,” he said. | |
| Labour's shadow chancellor John McDonnell called on Mr Johnson to withdraw the comment. | |
| “Mask slips again. Boris part-Kenyan Obama comment is yet another example of dog whistle racism from senior Tories. He should withdraw it,” he said. | |
| Mr Johnson’s column comes on the day Mr Obama visits Britain to encourage the UK to stay in the bloc. | Mr Johnson’s column comes on the day Mr Obama visits Britain to encourage the UK to stay in the bloc. |
| The US president is expected to tell a town-hall style meeting that the EU helps the UK achieve greater opportunity and prosperity. | The US president is expected to tell a town-hall style meeting that the EU helps the UK achieve greater opportunity and prosperity. |
| His intervention has receive push-back from some eurosceptics, however. Jacob Rees-Mogg, a prominent Tory backbencher, said last week that parts of the Obama administration were “not friends of the United Kingdom”. | His intervention has receive push-back from some eurosceptics, however. Jacob Rees-Mogg, a prominent Tory backbencher, said last week that parts of the Obama administration were “not friends of the United Kingdom”. |
| A YouGov poll for the right-wing CapX website found most of the British public - 51 per cent – attribute Mr Obama’s intervention to him believing it will be easier to deal with Europe as a single bloc. | A YouGov poll for the right-wing CapX website found most of the British public - 51 per cent – attribute Mr Obama’s intervention to him believing it will be easier to deal with Europe as a single bloc. |
| 24 per cent believe Mr Obama thinks Britain staying in the EU is in the interests of global security, while 14 per cent believe the president is making the call as a favour to David Cameron. | 24 per cent believe Mr Obama thinks Britain staying in the EU is in the interests of global security, while 14 per cent believe the president is making the call as a favour to David Cameron. |
| Just 4 per cent believed Mr Obama cared about Britain’s prosperity and believed it was better off in the EU. | Just 4 per cent believed Mr Obama cared about Britain’s prosperity and believed it was better off in the EU. |
| The Mayor of London is currently the favourite to succeed David Cameron as Prime Minister. | The Mayor of London is currently the favourite to succeed David Cameron as Prime Minister. |