Boris Johnson has publicly mocked the weight of a Scottish National Party MP for a second time in two months – after having previously being accused of “body-shaming” the same politician.
Speaking at prime minister’s questions Mr Johnson said Ian Blackford was “a living testament to the benefits of moderation in all things”
The prime minister’s apparent reference to to Mr Blackford figure prompted laughter from his own MPs.
At a previous PMQs in January Mr Johnson also used the dispatch box to mock Mr Blackford’s appearance, suggesting that his political rival had been “eating more cake” than he had.
Wednesday’s exchange at prime minister’s questions saw the prime minister invoke Mr Blackford’s size in response to the SNP’s Westminster chief’s criticism of the government’s Spring statement.
In the earlier comments at the end of January Mr Blackford had referred to the consumption of cake at a lockdown-breaking Downing Street birthday party for Mr Johnson.
But the prime minister fired back: “I don’t know who has been eating more cake?”
After Mr Johnson’s earlier comments Kirsten Oswald, the SNP’s equalities spokesperson, said the PM’s remarks were evidence he is “is completely unfit for office”.
“Whether it’s his body-shaming jokes, his racism, his homophobia, or his wider misconduct in public office, Mr Johnson is giving people another telling insight into his odious character,” Ms Oswald had said.
Responding to the latest exchange on Wednesday, an SNP spokesperson said: “It’s telling that 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.”
