Boris Johnson was confronted by disgruntled members of the public during a visit to Rotherham on Friday. The Prime Minister was approached by an angry resident as he toured a market in Doncaster, who took him to task over his government’s claims that “austerity is over”. “People have died because of austerity,” the woman said, “And you’ve got the cheek to come here and tell us austerity’s over and it’s all good now.” The Prime Minister appeared to struggle to answer the woman, before eventually insisting that he would be ploughing investment into the North. During a speech later in the day, he was heckled over his decision to suspend Parliament. The Prime Minister said: “I know the transformative potential of local accountable leadership, someone with the power to sort out what matters most to local people.”
Interrupting the broadcast being televised live, a man shouted: “Like our MPs, Boris?” “Yes, indeed,” Mr. Johnson replied. The heckler continued: “Maybe get back to Parliament. Yeah? Why are you not with them in Parliament sorting out the mess that you have created? Why don’t you sort it out, Boris?” Mr. Johnson said: “I’m very happy to get back to Parliament very soon, but what we want to see in this region is towns and communities able to represent that gentleman and sort out his needs.” The Prime Minister is visiting South Yorkshire after northern politicians made a joint call for more help in their regions from his government.
In a joint article in The Times, Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham and Liverpool city region mayor Steve Rotheram said: “To get this country working again, there is an urgent need to take power out of Westminster and give it to our great cities and regions. “We need to build a new, healthier politics that unifies people around the place and positive change and delivers practical change for citizens.” They identified five “priority areas” for the Government, including the termination of the Northern Rail franchise with more local control of rail services, London-style subsidies for northern bus services, central funding to help people affected by clean air zones to switch vehicles, action on homelessness and more devolved powers putting more money under their control.
The two mayors both also support two major projects to improve transport in the regions, HS2 and Northern Powerhouse Rail but called for more money and powers to be devolved from Whitehall to the regions. In his speech on Friday, Mr. Johnson said: “It is time that we gave more people a say over the places where they live, and it is time that we gave you the proper ability to run things your way. “We are going to maximize the power of the North. And we are going to make sure that it is people here who are in control over the things that matter to them.” During a trip to Doncaster market earlier on Friday, the Prime Minister told one trader “we’re going to get a deal”, adding: “That’s the plan, anyway. And if we don’t, we’re coming out on October 31. That’s what we’re going to do. Here we go, that’s a democracy.”
Mr. Johnson was surrounded by excited shoppers as he visited the sunny South Yorkshire town, which voted by 69% to leave in the EU referendum but has been regarded as a Labour stronghold in past elections. He showed no reaction as one man told him: “Find a deal here – this is Doncaster, not Europe.” As he walked around stalls inside the market’s indoor Corn Exchange, the Prime Minister stopped to speak with one fish seller. With Northern Powerhouse minister Jake Berry watching on, Mr. Johnson was heard remarking: “Look at that… lobster claws. We’ve got to take a few claws out of that Withdrawal Agreement.”
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