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.
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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.
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While the real Mark Francois doesn't have Twitter, a parody account of the Tory MP was all too happy to step in.
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Bray had this response...
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Despite the morning's excitement, some of us were still reeling from Francois' impressive Boris Johnson impression.
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More: Tory Brexiteer Mark Francois spotted wearing police outfit in Wetherspoons