Awkward Jacinda Ardern's tweet slating Boris Johnson resurfaces after New Zealand PM’s official visit

Jacinda Ardern is busy visiting Boris Johnson in London, with talks about trade and the war in Ukraine in progress.

But while the pair seemed to enjoy a pleasant meeting outside Downing Street – albeit with a little overzealous handshaking going on – Ardern didn’t always hold a high opinion of the PM.

A tweet the New Zealand Prime Minister posted back in 2012, when he was Mayor of London, expressed her surprise that Johnson was in the frame for Conservative leader at the time.

She also said that during her time living in London he was known as “the gaffe man”.

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“Are people really discussing Boris Johnson as possible candidate for PM? When I lived in London he was known as the gaffe man!” Ardern wrote at the time.

The tweet was posted back in 2012Twitter/@Jacindaardern

People pointed out the post on social media, while many others were reacting to footage of Johnson shaking Ardern’s arm a little too firmly by their reckoning.

“Why is he doing that pulling thing. WHY CANT HE JUST SHAKE HANDS NORMALLY,” one said.

Others also pointed out the similarity with Donald Trump’s old technique of using overly-firm handshakes to assert dominance.

“OMG. Full-on Trump,” a Twitter user said.

Meanwhile, the New Zealand leader is on her first UK trip since the pandemic began and also the first since the two nations signed a trade deal in February

Johnson said it was a “great, great pleasure” to welcome Ardern, before praising the “very strong line that you take on Ukraine”.

She told the Prime Minister it was a good “opportunity” to discuss the way the two countries have together responded to the war in Ukraine, noting the UK leadership on the conflict.

“We have also provided our military aid via our partnership with you,” she told Johnson.