BORIS Johnson made another joke about Ian Blackford’s weight at Prime Minister’s Questions (PMQs) as the SNP Westminster leader tried to get answers on how he would help people with the energy price hike.
Johnson said “he like me is a living testament to the benefits of moderation in all things” to Blackford after he was pressed on what he would order the Chancellor to do to help struggling families with rising energy bills.
That came shortly after Blackford was interrupted and heckled by other MPs as he referenced a “champagne bash” Tory politicians attended on Tuesday night at the Park Plaza.
Johnson previously mocked Blackford at a PMQs in January saying "I don’t know who has been eating more cake” after reports came out Johnson had a surprise birthday party for himself during lockdown in June 2020.
Blackford said: “Last night, millions of families will have been trying to work out how they will afford the £700 energy price hike. At the same time, Tory MPs were gathering for a champagne bash in the Park plaza.
Tory MPs in hysterics as Boris Johnson makes another joke about Ian Blackford's weight pic.twitter.com/3Nhs2Oq4xX
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“Last week, the chancellor got It badly wrong and ever since the Prime Minister has been saying that more need to be done. For once I agree with him.
“If he really believes that, can he tell us what he will order his Chancellor to do to help the millions of families who are facing a price hike on Friday?”
Johnson replied: “He like me is a living testament to the benefits of moderation in all things.
“The living wage is going up again by records amount and thanks to what the Chancellor has done we are putting £9.1 billion into helping people up and down the country. The SNP, to make Scotland prosper, could focus on the educational system, where I am sad to see Scotland’s once glorious record falling behind.”
Blackford branded the response as “absolute baloney” and accused the PM of being “dangerously out-of-touch” with society.
He then asked Johnson whether he would turn a new £200 energy bill loan into a grant.
But Johnson simply used the moment to point out the SNP’s “preposterous” opposition to hydrocarbons.
Johnson said: “When he talks about the cost of energy, how preposterous the SNP should be opposed to the use of any of our native hydrocarbons in this country, with the result the Europeans are importing oil and gas from Putin’s Russia.”
Blackford said: “Some in the Tory Cabinet clearly believe that better weather means they can sit on their hands and do nothing until winter. They obviously don’t care the weather in many parts of Scotland will barely go above freezing next week.”
An SNP spokesperson said: "It's telling Boris Johnson was more interested in making these snide remarks rather than being able to answer Ian Blackford's question on the Tory cost-of-living crisis hammering households and pushing people into poverty.
"Despite these personal insults, Ian Blackford and the SNP will keep our focus on what really matters to people right now - the cost-of-living emergency which the Prime Minister and his Chancellor are failing to fix."
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