Boris Johnson tried to speak Italian in Parliament and it didn’t go quite how he planned
Foreign Secretary was answering a question about whether Italians who live here would still be welcome post-Brexit
NESSUN Dorma it certainly wasn’t when Boris Johnson broke into Italian at the despatch box in the House of Commons today.
Instead of singing the famous aria, which was also the song for Italia 90, he was attempting to answer a question about whether Italians would be welcome in Britain after Brexit.
Starting off well – with “Vabbè”, which means “Oh well”, he then did his best to say all Italians will be welcome in London by stating the not quite correct Italian: “Tutti li itali sono benvenuti alla Londra.”
Maybe he did not know the word for Great Britain or maybe it is a phrase he learned when he was the Mayor of London.
After apologising to the House of Commons for his lack of fluency he reverted back to English.
He said EU nationals in the UK will retain the right to stay after Brexit, telling the House of Commons: “All nationals from EU member states can have the assurance that their status here will of course be protected.”
But he said their status would only be assured if there are similar deals struck for British people living in other EU countries.
This is not the first time BoJo has flirted with another European language and come unstuck.
In July he was booed at the French ambassador’s residence despite belting out La Marseillaise at an event to celebrate Bastille Day.
The new Foreign Secretary was heckled by a small number section of the French and British crowd as the former mayor of London attended his first public engagement in post.