WATCH: Boris Johnson booed by MPs after ducking out of Commons question
3 min read
Boris Johnson has been loudly booed by MPs and branded an "absolute disgrace" after he failed to answer questions on his Northern Ireland border memo.
The Foreign Secretary has come under fire after a leaked letter to Theresa May emerged, in which he broached the possibility of a hard border on the island of Ireland.
Labour MPs jeered and heckled Mr Johnson as he left the House of Commons chamber rather than answering an urgent question from his opposite number Emily Thornberry.
Instead Cabinet Office minister David Lidington answered on the Government's behalf.
Ms Thornberry tore into Mr Johnson over his absence, claiming he had shown disrespect to Parliament.
She pointed out that he had stopped earlier this morning to field questions from reporters while out jogging in central London.
"I have to say it is an absolute disgrace and a huge discourtesy to this House that the Foreign Secretary is not here himself to answer the questions of his memo," she told MPs.
"Especially given that we saw him in London a few hours ago jogging in the snow stopping and answering questions from the media.
"If he can answer their questions he really should be prepared to answer ours."
Shadow Northern Ireland Secretary Owen Smith also took Mr Johnson to task on Twitter.
At Prime Minister's Questions, Theresa May repeatedly made clear she was committed to avoiding a hard border, but would not countenance any proposal for Northern Ireland to remain in the EU's customs union or single market.
She spoke out after EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier published draft plans that included a "backstop" of keeping Northern Ireland in a "common regulatory area" with the Republic.
"The draft legal text the Commission have published would, if implemented, undermine the UK common market and threaten the constitutional integrity of the UK by creating a customs and regulatory border down the Irish Sea and no UK Prime Minister could ever agree to it," she said.
"I will be making it crystal clear to President Juncker and others we will never do so. We are committed to ensuring we see no hard border...but the December text also made clear there should continue to be trade between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK as there is today."
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