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London mayor under fire over remark about 'part-Kenyan' Barack Obama | London mayor under fire over remark about 'part-Kenyan' Barack Obama |
(35 minutes later) | |
Boris Johnson has been accused of bad judgment after he wrote about claims that Barack Obama’s Kenyan heritage had driven the president towards anti-British sentiment. | Boris Johnson has been accused of bad judgment after he wrote about claims that Barack Obama’s Kenyan heritage had driven the president towards anti-British sentiment. |
The Labour MPs Yvette Cooper and Chuka Umunna have both raised questions about the suggestion by the London mayor, who is a high-profile campaigner for Britain to leave the EU, in the Sun newspaper. | The Labour MPs Yvette Cooper and Chuka Umunna have both raised questions about the suggestion by the London mayor, who is a high-profile campaigner for Britain to leave the EU, in the Sun newspaper. |
Related: Boris Johnson accused of 'unacceptable smear' on Barack Obama - Politics live | |
Johnson wrote about the decision of the Obama administration to remove a bust of Britain’s wartime leader Winston Churchill from the Oval Office. | Johnson wrote about the decision of the Obama administration to remove a bust of Britain’s wartime leader Winston Churchill from the Oval Office. |
“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,” said Johnson, in an article designed to hit back at the president, who waded into the EU referendum debate on Friday. | “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,” said Johnson, in an article designed to hit back at the president, who waded into the EU referendum debate on Friday. |
The mayor and Tory MP said Obama’s country would “not dream of embroiling itself” in anything similar to the EU, which he said was inching towards a federal superstate. | The mayor and Tory MP said Obama’s country would “not dream of embroiling itself” in anything similar to the EU, which he said was inching towards a federal superstate. |
Cooper told the Guardian: “As ever, it’s more bad judgment from Boris Johnson. Is this really how a man who wants to be prime minister should be talking about the president of the United States?” | Cooper told the Guardian: “As ever, it’s more bad judgment from Boris Johnson. Is this really how a man who wants to be prime minister should be talking about the president of the United States?” |
Umunna tweeted: “These Tory Mayoral types are beyond the pale.” | Umunna tweeted: “These Tory Mayoral types are beyond the pale.” |
He said the Conservative mayoral candidate Zac Goldsmith had played on his opponent Sadiq Khan’s Muslim heritage, amid controversy over repeated attacks about Khan sharing a platform with a man who has been accused of extremist views, while Johnson played on Obama’s Kenyan ancestry. | He said the Conservative mayoral candidate Zac Goldsmith had played on his opponent Sadiq Khan’s Muslim heritage, amid controversy over repeated attacks about Khan sharing a platform with a man who has been accused of extremist views, while Johnson played on Obama’s Kenyan ancestry. |
Churchill’s grandson, Nicholas Soames, a Conservative MP backing the remain campaign, called Johnson’s article “appalling” and said it was “inconceivable” that the wartime leader would not have welcomed Obama’s views. | Churchill’s grandson, Nicholas Soames, a Conservative MP backing the remain campaign, called Johnson’s article “appalling” and said it was “inconceivable” that the wartime leader would not have welcomed Obama’s views. |
The prime minister’s spokeswoman said the decision to remove the Churchill bust was taken before Obama took office. | The prime minister’s spokeswoman said the decision to remove the Churchill bust was taken before Obama took office. |
Bust story debunked | |
Ted Cruz, the Republican senator who is locked in a battle with Donald Trump to become their party’s nominee for the presidential election, last year made a similar claim, saying Obama was responsible for removing the bust. The claim was debunked by the Washington Post, which concluded after a detailed investigation that the bust was returned to the British embassy in Washington before Obama took office. | Ted Cruz, the Republican senator who is locked in a battle with Donald Trump to become their party’s nominee for the presidential election, last year made a similar claim, saying Obama was responsible for removing the bust. The claim was debunked by the Washington Post, which concluded after a detailed investigation that the bust was returned to the British embassy in Washington before Obama took office. |
Obama had earlier made an emotional plea to the British public to “stick together” with the rest of the European Union, as he arrived in the UK to celebrate the Queen’s 90th birthday. | Obama had earlier made an emotional plea to the British public to “stick together” with the rest of the European Union, as he arrived in the UK to celebrate the Queen’s 90th birthday. |
In an article for the Daily Telegraph, Obama argued that Britain’s influence in the world was magnified by its membership of the EU. | In an article for the Daily Telegraph, Obama argued that Britain’s influence in the world was magnified by its membership of the EU. |
“As citizens of the United Kingdom take stock of their relationship with the EU, you should be proud that the EU has helped spread British values and practices – democracy, the rule of law, open markets – across the continent and to its periphery,” he wrote. | “As citizens of the United Kingdom take stock of their relationship with the EU, you should be proud that the EU has helped spread British values and practices – democracy, the rule of law, open markets – across the continent and to its periphery,” he wrote. |