Boris Johnson and Keir Starmer’s fiery Commons clash today whipped up a social media meme storm as Twitter users gave their view on the jaw-dropping encounter.
A clearly rattled Mr Johnson launched an ardent defence of his actions over the deepening Downing Street flat renovation row – dubbed ‘Wallpapergate’.
The Prime Minister aggressively waggled his finger at the Sir Keir as he repeatedly claimed he had personally paid for renovations to the flat.
It comes after after the elections watchdog launched a formal probe into claims Tory donors may have contributed to the reported £50,000 costs.
And the clash sparked Twitter users to poke fun at the Prime Minister – including by Piers Morgan who compared the Conservative leader to Jack Nicholson in the film a ‘Few Good Men’.
Under questioning from a fellow officer, Nicholson, playing Colonel Jessup, asks: ‘You want answers?!’ before adding ‘You can’t handle the truth!’.
In another popular meme, Twitters users compared the rattled Mr Johnson to football manager Kevin Keegan.
And the clash sparked Twitter users to poke fun at the Prime Minister – including by Piers Morgan who compared the Conservative leader to Jack Nicholson in the film a ‘Few Good Men’
In another popular meme, Twitters users compared the rattled Mr Johnson to football manager Kevin Keegan
Others used the ‘Woman shouting at a cat meme’ comparing Mr Johnson to the woman who screams at the feline in the original meme
The original meme features a woman screaming, seemingly at a cat sitting at a table while eating asparagus
Twitter users compared Sir Keir Starmer’s questioning to that of the series’ heavily disliked police chief Patricia Carmichael
In a now iconic moment, the-then Newcastle went on a blistering rant aimed at Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson.
The two clubs were competing for the Premier League title when Sir Alex suggested clubs were not trying hard enough against Newcastle.
And the comment got under the skin of Keegan, who went on a now infamous rant in which he said ‘We’re still fighting for this title, and he’s got to go to Middlesbrough and get something, and… and… I’ll tell you, honestly, I will love it if we beat them, love it!’
As is now customary in the Twitter meme-spheres, Line of Duty made an appearance.
Twitter users compared Sir Keir Starmer’s questioning to that of the series’ heavily disliked police chief Patricia Carmichael.
Others used the ‘Woman shouting at a cat meme’ comparing Mr Johnson to the woman who screams at the feline in the original meme.
Some users kept it simple, using memes of people hitting the floor to represent the Prime Minister’s anger.
In a particularly brilliant meme, one Twitter showed the Toy Story scene in which Mrs Potato Head packs Mr Potato Head’s ‘angry eyes’.
Some users kept it simple, using memes of people hitting the floor to represent the Prime Minister’s anger
Another joked about Boris Johnson smashing up his flat after being questioned by Keir Starmer
In a particularly brilliant meme, one Twitter showed the Toy Story scene in which Mrs Potato Head packs Mr Potato Head’s ‘angry eyes’
Others joked that the Commons clash was more like something out of Judge Rinder than Prime Minister’s Questions
It comes after Mr Johnson clashed bitterly with Sir Keir today as his crisis deepened after the elections watchdog launched a formal probe into whether ‘offences’ have been committed in the Downing Street flat row.
A clearly incensed PM insisted he ‘paid for the refurbishment myself’ and had abided by the ministerial code despite the Electoral Commission saying there were ‘reasonable grounds to suspect’ the law might have been broken over the controversial No11 refurbishment.
But as Sir Keir demanded he ‘answer the question’ he repeatedly dodged saying whether £58,000 of Tory funds had originally been used for the works, before he repaid the money.
‘I paid for it,’ he said. ‘I have covered the costs.’
Trying to deflect the attack by saying it was ‘bizarre’ and ‘irrelevant’ of Sir Keir to keep pushing on the issue, Mr Johnson added that he has asked the new independent adviser on ministerial interests to look into whether he needs to make ‘any further declaration’. ‘I look forward to what the Electoral Commission has to say.’
But the Labour leader shot back: ‘The Prime Minister hasn’t answered the question, he knows he hasn’t answered the question, he never answers the question.’
A red-faced Mr Johnson also flatly denied saying that he would rather see ‘bodies pile up’ than trigger another lockdown last Autumn – laying down the gauntlet to anyone who heard it to come forward and say so publicly. ‘I didn’t say those words,’ he said. ‘What I do believe is that a lockdown is a miserable, miserable thing.’
Labour sources trolled the PM over his angry showing, saying it was his ‘Kevin Keegan moment’ – in a reference to the then-Newcastle United manager’s notorious 1996 rant at Manchester United just before his team imploded and lost the championship.
In a statement an hour earlier that heaped pressure on the PM, the Electoral Commission said: ‘We have been in contact with the Conservative Party since late March and have conducted an assessment of the information they have provided to us.
‘We are now satisfied that there are reasonable grounds to suspect that an offence or offences may have occurred. We will therefore continue this work as a formal investigation to establish whether this is the case.
‘The investigation will determine whether any transactions relating to the works at 11 Downing Street fall within the regime regulated by the Commission and whether such funding was reported as required.
‘We will provide an update once the investigation is complete. We will not be commenting further until that point.’
The commission looks at whether the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 has been broken – although it can refer other suspected offences to the police. It is not clear what part of the Act it believes might have been breached, but penalties can range from a fine to up to a year in prison.
Ministers desperately tried to shore up Mr Johnson today as opposition MPs branded him a ‘serial liar’ over the £88,000 flat refurb and ‘bodies piling up’ comment.
In another effort to weather the immediate storm, No10 confirmed that Lord Geidt has been new installed as the government’s new independent adviser on ministerial interests. He is launching an inquiry into the flat situation.
