‘I HAVEN’T GOT THE FOGGIES
■ Boris flounders after being put on spot by Sunderland mum Paige Hood over fake news scandal during visit to city ■ PM also fails to offer any reassurances over Nissan future
Boris Johnson was taken to task over fake news by a young mum during a visit to Wearside.
Paige Hood, 25, challenged the Prime Minister during a session with employees at Ferguson's Transport in Washington.
She asked why the Tories needed to set up fake websites and paid for Google advertising to rank their own sites higher than Labour's.
The Prime Minister admitted: "The short answer is, I haven't the foggiest idea.
He claimed: "A lot of this is, basically, kind of a media diversion.”
However, when it was pointed out that the questioner was a member of the public, said: "I'm very sorry you can't find that online, but I'm sure it's there somewhere."
Afterwards Paige told reporters: "I don't understand how anyone is going to trust the Conservatives at all.
"I have a little boy, last week we were in A&E for five hours and we were sent away at first.
“By the time he got seen to, his eardrum had nearly burst.
“There just wasn't enough staff on A&E, there isn't any of the time."
Asked if she believed Mr Johnson's answer, she replied: "It's either that he doesn't know – and surely he should know what's going on in his own Government – or he knew about it and he lied again."
It was a second uncomfortable moment of the tour after Mr Johnson took a reporter's phone and put it in his pocket after refusing to look at a photo of a child who had to sleep on a hospital floor.
The Prime Minister told workers: "This is a broken Parliament that will not allow the people of this country to have their voices heard.
"It will not allow the people of this country to express their will.”
While on Wearside Johnson also claimed Nissan’s supply chains would be protected under his deal.
He said: "As I say supply chains will be protected.
“And we will make sure that people will continue to invest in this country and they will.” Word of the visit had been kept under wraps, but the PM was still greeted by a group of Labour activists, including Washington and Sunderland West candidate Sharon Hodgson.