Boris Accuses Obama Of 'Hypocrisy' Over The EU

Boris Johnson has described Barack Obama's plans to call for the UK to remain in the European Union as a "piece of outrageous and exorbitant hypocrisy".

The mayor of London, himself born in New York, was responding to reports that the US President is going to visit London in a bid to persuade voters to back the In campaign.

In a column for The Daily Telegraph, Mr Johnson imagined what such a trip would look like, writing: "Air Force One will touch down; a lectern with the presidential seal will be erected. The British people will be told to be good to themselves, to do the right thing.

"We will be informed by our most important ally that it is in our interests to stay in the EU, no matter how flawed we may feel that organisation to be."

Mr Johnson, who backs the UK's departure from the EU, claimed the electorate would be asked to "never mind the loss of sovereignty; never mind the expense and the bureaucracy and the uncontrolled immigration" which critics say the 28-nation bloc causes.

The Conservative MP said the American view on the UK's relationship in the EU was clear: remaining part of the union was the only way for Britain to have influence on the world stage.

Although Mr Johnson said this was "an important argument that deserves to be taken seriously", he said it was also "wholly fallacious" and hypocritical from a US leader.

He went on: "There is no country in the world that defends its own sovereignty with such hysterical vigilance as the United States of America. This is a nation born from its glorious refusal to accept overseas control."

The newspaper column came as tensions continued to simmer between Mr Johnson and other senior Tories.

George Osborne has taken issue with the mayor's suggestion that the UK could secure a Canadian-style trade deal - with the Chancellor insisting the agreement took seven years to negotiate, with tariffs imposed on exports of beef and cars.

Mr Osborne told the BBC's Andrew Marr Show: "I hear people saying 'I want Britain to be like Switzerland. I want Britain to be like Norway, I want Britain to be like Canada'.

"You know what? I want Britain to be like Great Britain."