Flapping Tory chicken Boris Johnson branded 'frit' for dodging TV debates

Flapping Tory chicken Boris Johnson was branded “frit” for dodging head-to-head TV debates.

The No10 hopeful was blasted by a party member for snubbing live showdowns with leadership rival Jeremy Hunt .

Grilled by Conservative activists at a hustings in Exeter as the Mirror Chicken waited outside, he was asked: “In the words of Mrs Thatcher, are you frit? And if you are frit, are you fit to be Prime Minister?”

Spluttering Mr Johnson replied: “I don’t think anybody could have done as many hustings as I have done.

“I think one of the important things is not to – as Conservatives – spend too much time tearing great lumps out of each other in advance of the end of the contest.”

Mr Johnson has agreed to take part in just two head-to-head debates – and those will take place after 160,000 Tory members who will choose our next Prime Minister have received their ballots.

Foreign Office Minister Sir Alan Duncan branded him a “circus act” and mocked him for failing to turn up for debates.

“Boris is in hiding,” fumed Sir Alan, who backs Mr Hunt for the top job.

“Please Boris Johnson , let’s do a debate on TV … we challenge him to a public debate, face-to-face, because he’s ducking it. I really think that’s irresponsible.”

Foreign Secretary Mr Hunt also tore into his Downing Street rival for a series of TV no-shows.

Speaking at the Devon hustings, he said: “I do think we should have head-to-head debates and have these issues out and I think we should have those debates before people cast their votes.”

Mr Johnson refused to confirm he would offer Mr Hunt a job if he won power.

“I have a very, very high regard for Jeremy but … I am not making commitments to anybody,” he said.

“Of course, there is a wealth of talent on the Conservative benches but anything I say now about the future shape or personnel of the administration I lead would be counted as measuring the curtains.”

Mr Hunt said he would “love” to have Mr Johnson in his Cabinet, joking he would make him “Secretary of State for collective responsibility” in his government.

Race frontrunner Mr Johnson also vowed a “tough” crackdown on illegal immigrants.

“We should be catching them and we should be sending them back,” he said.

“As a country we have spent a long time where we have allowed a lot of very, very experienced and clever lawyers to interrupt the process of return and it becomes it very difficult to send people back from whence they came.”

The former Foreign Secretary was also tackled over claims he called the French “turds” over Brexit .

He reportedly made the remark in front of TV cameras filming him for a BBC documentary.

But the comments were never aired amid fears at the Foreign Office over how they could harm diplomatic relations.

A Whitehall memo suggested the comment would make Anglo-French relations “awkward”, the Daily Mail reported.

Mr Johnson claimed: “I have no recollection of this comment.”

Asked about Brexit, he warned the Tories were “facing down the barrel of electoral extinction unless we get this over the line”.

But he backed away from suggestions he could suspend Parliament – called “proroguing” – in a bid to force through a no-deal departure.

“When it comes to weird devices such as prorogation I am certainly not attracted,” he said.
“There are all sorts of things that remain on the table but it’s a big and conspicuous table.

“But I am not remotely attracted to that kind of device, that kind of fiat by executive.”

Mr Hunt warned Tory members: “We would be crucified if we had a General Election before we leave the European Union – and if you have Corbyn in Downing Street, the one thing you’ll never have is Brexit.”

Theresa May vowed to remain silent on who should take over from her, as she confirmed she had not even told her husband who she voted for in the race for her job.

The Prime Minister ruled out publicly endorsing either candidate in the battle for Downing Street.

And she revealed she hopes to stay on as an MP beyond the next election.

Speaking at the G20 summit in Japan, Mrs May told reporters: “I haven’t commented on how I voted through the contest so far and won’t be commenting on how I intend to vote in the final vote.

“I haven’t been revealing to my husband whom I voted for at every stage.”

Mrs May also revealed she hopes to stay on as an MP beyond the next election, making her the first PM since James Callaghan to contest the election after standing down.

She added: “I’m certainly going to be continuing as the MP for Maidenhead.

“I’m going to stay in Parliament and play my role by my own constituents.”

But she refused to be drawn on whether she would take a role in her successor’s Cabinet.

Later, in a round of TV interviews, Mrs May said she was “looking forward” to returning to the backbenches and giving her “full time” to her Berkshire constituency.

She has four weeks left in the job and said her “mood is one of determination to carry on doing the job I’m doing”.

The leadership hustings bandwagon rolls into Carlisle and Manchester on Saturday.

Mr Hunt leads Mr Johnson as the public’s preferred successor by 41% to 29%, according to a YouGov poll.

However among Tory voters, Mr Johnson is ahead by 48% to 39%.

Jeremy Hunt is now seen as more honest than Johnson, less divisive and is significantly more likely to be seen as having a good moral character.

YouGov’s director of political and social research Anthony Wells said: “Jeremy Hunt is now seen as more honest than Johnson, less divisive and is significantly more likely to be seen as having a good moral character.”

A source in Mr Hunt’s campaign said: “Jeremy remains the underdog but this shows we’ve got the momentum.”