Swearing, chlorinated chicken, and Brexit: How did Boris Johnson fare in his first PMQs as leader?

Swearing, chlorinated chicken, and Brexit: How did Boris Johnson fare in his first PMQs as leader?
Copyright  Parliament TV
Copyright  Parliament TV
By Emma Beswick
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Swearing, chlorinated chicken, and Brexit: How did Boris Johnson fare in his first PMQs as leader?

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New British prime minister Boris Johnson took the floor in the House of Commons on Wednesday to face his first Prime Minister's Questions (PMQs) amid a boiling Brexit chaos.

He hammered home the message that his government would take the UK out of the European Union (EU) on October 31, adding "we are preparing for a no-deal Brexit if we absolutely must".

Leader of the opposition, Jeremy Corbyn, accused Johnson of "running down the clock" in the approach to the deadline.

But the new PM didn't pull any punches, calling the Labour chief a "chlorinated chicken" and commenting "you great, big girl's blouse," away from the lectern.

In another attack on Labour, the prime minister recalled that shadow education secretary Angela Rayner had called the party's "high-risk" economic strategy as "shit-or-bust".

He challenged Labour opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn to let the public decide on the bill to stop a no-deal Brexit (what he called the "surrender bill") by agreeing to a general election.

Johnson didn't manage to get through his first PMQs without a telling off from Speaker John Bercow, who chastised him for referring to Jeremy Corbyn using his name, breaking with "the very long-established procedure with which everybody, including the prime minister, must comply".

Rebel Conservative MPs and Remainers on Wednesday continued their efforts to block no-deal Brexit with a debate on a new piece of legislation. 

Labour MP Hilary Benn, supported by MPs from other parties, introduced a draft law, compelling the prime minister to delay Brexit by another three months if he can't agree on a new deal with the EU.

You can follow live updates from the Commons here, where MPs are set to vote on the proposed legislation from around 6 p.m. CEST.

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