The Conversation (0)
Andy Gregory
Oct 16, 2019
Steve Bray, the anti-Brexit protester known for his large hat, excellent placard placement and booming voice, has been winding Mark Francois up again.
Francois, who has made a name for himself in recent months by physically ripping up Theresa May's withdrawal agreement, staring intensely at Will Self, and saying things like "perfidious Albion", made a raft of TV appearances this morning.
The ERG deputy chairman was interviewed by Sky News and the BBC to get a sense of the group's reaction to news that Boris Johnson may agree on a deal with the European Union.
Sadly for Mark, he struggled to get many of his points across, thanks to a particularly persistent onslaught of "stop Brexit" shouts.
At several points an irate Francois stopped to complain about the protester, saying tersely:
If we leave it will be delightful that this idiot will shut up.
The BBC interviewer responded:
He is exercising his democratic right, I appreciate it makes it very difficult to do an interview and we do want to hear from you as well.
After further shouts of "Boris Johnson is a cheat and a liar" and a more targeted "good morning, Mr Francois", the Brexiteer tried to brush Bray's antics off by saying: "He lost the referendum, he’s never got over it."
Someone kindly compiled a greatest hits of the morning's shouts.
One stand-out set of words Francois did manage to convey amid the noise was this:
We want to live in a free country, that elects its own government, and makes its own laws, and then lives under those laws in peace.
To which Sky News' Adam Boulton told him: "We already are."
People shared their amusement on Twitter.
While the real Mark Francois doesn't have Twitter, a parody account of the Tory MP was all too happy to step in.
Bray had this response...
Despite the morning's excitement, some of us were still reeling from Francois' impressive Boris Johnson impression.
More: Tory Brexiteer Mark Francois spotted wearing police outfit in Wetherspoons