Boris Johnson was accused of “buffoonish” behaviour for chuckling and pulling a face while the chancellor, Rishi Sunak, spoke in the Commons of the terrifying ordeal faced by millions of Ukrainians.
As Sunak began his spring statement, Johnson appeared to relax having just faced half an hour of prime minister’s questions.
Sunak’s serious demeanour as he paid tribute to people fighting or sheltering from the Russian military appeared at odds with Johnson’s. For nearly 15 seconds, the prime minister chuckled at the opposition benches, his shoulder shaking with laughter.
At one point, he appeared to pull a face, while the home secretary, Priti Patel, glowered at Labour MPs, seemingly disapproving of the amount of noise in the chamber.
“As I stand here, men, women and children are huddled in basements across Ukraine seeking protection,” Sunak read from his notes, while Johnson smiled at his side. “Soldiers and citizens alike have taken up arms to defend their land and families.”
A clip of the moment was shared widely on social media and viewed nearly 1.5m times.
Layla Moran, a Liberal Democrat MP, condemned the behaviour. She said: “It’s all a joke to Boris Johnson. His buffoonery is a national embarrassment. He should apologise to the people of Ukraine. Their bravery stands in great contrast to Johnson’s childish behaviour.”
Johnson said later in the day that he had spoken to the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, and praised the country’s “steadfast resistance”.
In a tweet, the prime minister added: “The UK stands with Ukraine – we will send further defensive aid and they have our full backing in the negotiations.”
