Boris Johnson 'Waffling On' About Australian Biscuits And Vegemite Sparks Strong Reactions

More than one person on social media thought the packet of Tim Tams that the prime minister holds in the video had been edited in.
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Boris Johnson who, just to remind you, is the designated leader of this fair country, has posted a video on Twitter in which he waves an actual packet of biscuits at the camera while grinning like a small child who has just found said packet of biscuits.

The slightly bizarre performance, posted on Wednesday, was part of the pitch for a beneficial trade deal between the UK and Australia and New Zealand, something he said would bring the countries “closer together than ever before”.

Geographical pedantry aside, the PM made a dramatic point of vaunting a number of things that make up an absolutely tiny amount of the UK economy.

He said: “Think of the potential which we have. I want a world in which we send you Marmite, you send us Vegemite.

“We send you Penguins and you send us, with reduced tariffs, these wonderful Arnott’s Tim Tams.

“How long can the British people be deprived of the opportunity to have Arnott’s Tim Tams at a reasonable price?”

The clip, posted at a time when crunch Brexit talks with the UK’s largest trading partner, the EU, are getting absolutely nowhere, raised more than a few eyebrows on social media.

I don't want to alarm anybody but the man charged with getting us out of the worst recession in centuries is currently using his office to flog the chocolate malty flavour of Arnott's Tim Tams pic.twitter.com/vyw9y3cabB

— James Felton (@JimMFelton) June 17, 2020

I genuinely - GENUINELY - thought these stills were photoshopped spoofs designed to ridicule this gibbering, superficial twat.

Turns out they’re real. They’re actually fucking real.

Fucking Tim Tams. Jesus Christ. We are so fucking fucked. pic.twitter.com/RJs1cB3thB

— 🏳️🌈 Max 🏳️🌈 (@SpillerOfTea) June 17, 2020

We are months from crashing out of the largest trading block in the world and our lying joke of a Prime Minister waffles on about boomerangs and Tim Tams. https://t.co/SxuFEpkZyY

— Siobhan Benita (@SiobhanBenita) June 17, 2020

Seriously? Wine, boomerangs, Penguins, Marmite, Vegemite and Arnott’s Tim Tams?

Well, that should add about ... {checks notes} .... 0.00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000027% to our GDP

Well worth breaking European trade for. 👌pic.twitter.com/ksIGEWFeMk

— Dr Mike Galsworthy (@mikegalsworthy) June 17, 2020

The PM later also released a special New Zealand edition in which he, inevitably, mentions “orcs and hobbits”.

I’m proud to call the United Kingdom a friend of New Zealand, and am thrilled that we now have the opportunity to strengthen our alliance by negotiating a new free trade agreement. 🇬🇧🇳🇿 pic.twitter.com/OVMilbAq4G

— Boris Johnson #StayAlert (@BorisJohnson) June 17, 2020

There was at least an attempt at serious diplomacy behind the videos – the government hopes trade agreements with the two Commonwealth countries will aid the coronavirus recovery by opening up new markets for businesses and creating jobs.

Johnson’s comments came after International Trade Secretary Liz Truss published the UK’s negotiating objectives with Australia and New Zealand on Wednesday.

But enough of the boring details, here are some more amusing tweets.

Tim Tams | Houston we have an idiot. pic.twitter.com/vdKPV77nNx

— Britgirl Hates Bozo and Brexit (@MarieAnnUK) June 17, 2020

This is not satire. This is our PM brandishing a bag of Tim Tams and talking about sending boomerangs to Australia. pic.twitter.com/Bj6wDDYcX0

— Katy (@KatyJane_101) June 17, 2020

Tim Tams are only superior to Penguins for the sole reason that you can drink hot chocolate through them if you bite the ends off. You can do this with a penguin, but the blood gets everywhere. pic.twitter.com/qg7xdA8x0O

— Donaeld The Unready (@donaeldunready) June 17, 2020
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