In 2007, then Mayoral candidate and education spokesman Boris Johnson was chauffeur-driven to Portsmouth where he made ill-informed and inaccurate claims about the city.
Today, Stephen Morgan MP demanded an apology.
The new appointed Prime Minister claimed that [Portsmouth is] “too full of drugs, obesity, underachievement and Labour MPs.”
On the premier day of the Prime Minister’s leadership, local-born MP, Stephen Morgan has written to him outlining the cuts his city has faced under the Conservative and Lib Dem regime of austerity and demanding an apology for his previous insults.
Stephen Morgan MP said:
“Under the Tories, Hampshire has lost over 1000 police officers. Portsmouth’s schools are losing £3.7 million. Our local authority has seen the local services we all rely on slashed by 48 percent since 2011, equating to £73m.To say such things about Portsmouth, when representing a party that has consistently done everything in its power to rip the heart out of the community, is highly offensive to our great city.Mr Johnson hasn’t won the support of our country nor will he win the support of our city. To earn respect, he needs to demonstrate he’s a statesman with his words and his deeds.I have demanded an apology for Portsmouth and now that Mr Johnson is in a position of power with the privilege of high office, urged him to show leadership and transform lives by investing in Portsmouth and its people.Will he do this? I am not so confident.”
