Johnson accused of impersonating Trump by SNP

LONDON: Boris Johnson has been accused of impersonating Donald Trump in his first days as Prime Minister of a post-Brexit UK.

SNP Westminster Leader Ian Blackford criticised the PM after a number of journalists were excluded from a Downing Street briefing earlier this week. He also took aim at Johnson over his strategy to secure post-Brexit trade deals and the sacking of Claire O’Neill as president of COP26.

“In the first few days of Brexit Britain, this Prime Minister has sacked an official, taken an isolationist approach to trade and banned the press from a Downing Street briefing,” said Blackford. “Is he intentionally trying to impersonate Donald Trump?”

The Prime Minister rejected the suggestion that he intends to take an isolationist approach to trade. “I don’t think anybody listening to my speech on Monday could have mistaken it for anything but the most passionate, internationalist, globalist, open, outward-looking approach,” said Johnson.

“There is only one party in this country that has nationalist in their name, that’s them, they would break up the most successful political partnership of the last 300 years. He (Blackford) and his party should concentrate on the day job and doing a better job for the people of Scotland.”

“The Prime Minister doesn’t even know the name of our party,” responded Blackford. “The Prime Minister is on a dangerous trajectory. Is it any wonder that poll after poll shows majority support for Scottish independence?

“Our former US ambassador has made clear the threat of a Tory-Trump trade deal warning that drug prices could soar. This would see increased pressure on our frontline services. It is clearer than ever that this government, this Prime Minister, is a threat to our NHS.”

Blackford also called on Johnson to support his party’s NHS Protection Bill - aimed at removing any threat of privatisation of the health service.

The Prime Minister told the SNP MP: “I think it’s very odd that he (Blackford) should denounce this country’s wish to have trade deals around the world when, as I understand it, their proposal is to try to rejoin the European Union and to have a different currency whose name they are yet to identify, to have a border at Berwick, and just after this country has taken back control of its outstanding marine wealth, to hand it back to Brussels. That’s their policy, I really think they (the SNP) should concentrate on doing a better job for the people of Scotland.”