Boris Johnson sneaks a look at Robert Peston's notes before live TV interview

Caught peeking: Boris Johnson took a sneaky look at Robert Peston's interview notes
Rex Features
Fiona Simpson21 May 2017
WEST END FINAL

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Boris Johnson has been caught sneaking a peek at Robert Peston’s interview notes before a live interview on ITV.

Snaps emerged of the Tory politician rifling through the sheets of paper as the host spoke to Nicholas Soames and Labour candidate Jess Phillips during Peston on Sunday.

The interviewer later shared images of the gaffe on Twitter and wrote: “Here 's Boris stealing and copying my homework (ie reading questions I planned for him, while I interviewed @NSoames & @jessphillips).”

Speaking on the show, Johnson launched a fresh attack on Jeremy Corbyn warning he could not be trusted to lead the Brexit negotiations if he gained power in the General Election on June 8.

As the latest clutch of opinion polls showed the Conservatives' lead over Labour narrowing, the Foreign Secretary said Labour had no clear position on Britain's future relationship with the EU.

"We are at a critical phase in the history of this country. We have to get Brexit right. I am genuinely alarmed by the idea that it could be handled in just 11 days after the election by Jeremy Corbyn," he said.

"I do not for the life of me understand how he is supposed to go and sit at that table in Brussels on day one of the talks when he hasn't got a clue whether he wants to stay in the single market or the customs union and he has a completely unintelligible position on immigration.

"They are going to look at him and have him for breakfast. It think it will be deeply damaging to the interests of this country."

Mr Johnson also defended controversial plans set out by Theresa May in the Conservative manifesto to overhaul the system of funding social care, saying the Prime Minister had shown "bravery" in addressing a crucial issue.

"This is necessary. We face another two million over the age of 75 in the next ten years. We have to do something about the huge costs of social care," he said.

"I think it is a mark of Theresa May's bravery and candour with electorate that she is doing this. It shows the strength and purpose she will bring to everything she does if we are re-elected."

Additional reporting by Press Association.

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