Boris Johnson jokes that Libya will be the new Dubai after they ‘clear the dead bodies’ in latest gaffe
The Foreign Secretary also criticised minister for 'idle Brussels bashing' at Tory conference event
BORIS Johnson has sparked anger tonight after he joked that Libya can become the new Dubai as soon as they “clear the dead bodies away”.
The Foreign Secretary told activists he was optimistic about the future of the war-torn country, saying it had "great potential".
He added: "There's a group of UK business people actually, wonderful guys, who want to invest in Sirte on the coast, near where Gaddafi was actually captured and executed as some of you may have seen.
"They've got a brilliant vision to turn Sirte, with the help of the municipality of Sirte, to turn it into the next Dubai.
“The only thing they've got to do is clear the dead bodies away and then we'll be there.”
The gaffe was met with nervous laughter by the audience, before the chair of the event swiftly changed the subject, saying: "Next question - the dead bodies was the 'move on' moment."
Furious Lib Dem deputy leader Jo Swinson called for Johnson to be sacked over the comments.
She said in a statement: "Diplomacy is a basic requirement for the role of Foreign Secretary.
"This latest unbelievably crass and insensitive comment about an issue of such importance is further proof Boris is not up to the job.
"May needs to get her house in order and sack him."
Mr Johnson was speaking to a fringe meeting at the Conservative party conference in Manchester, hours after he made a speech from the main stage.
He slammed ministers for “Brussels bashing”, admitted Britain won’t be able to strike trade deals as soon as we quit the EU and made a dig at Philip Hammond for underfunding foreign policy.
Boris said that after Brexit, “We won’t be able to blame Brussels any more - no more idle Brussels bashing from ministers.”
But he took a shot at Europe as he boasted about London’s tourist industry, saying: “More people every year visit the British Museum than go to visit ten European countries - that I will not mention, such is my justified reputation for diplomacy.”
He also joked that the UK is so good at exports, “We managed temporarily to export Nigel Farage to America.”
Boris boasted that Britain has a larger diplomatic service than France, then added: “We do it with only two thirds of the budget - a point you might like to relay to the Chancellor, the previous Foreign Secretary.”
The jibe at Philip Hammond is the latest in a long series of quarrels between the two Cabinet big beasts.
Mr Johnson is notorious for his gaffes - most recently he had to be stopped from reciting a colonial poem during an official trip to Burma.
