What is really going on in politics? Get our daily email briefing straight to your inbox Sign up Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Invalid Email

Boris Johnson - Britain's most senior diplomat - was berated by a woman in a Sikh temple, for talking about increasing whisky exports to India.

The gaffetastic Foreign Secretary caused spectacular offence when he talked about ending tariffs on booze in the temple of the teetotal religion.

Mr Johnson was visiting the Nirman Sewak Jatha Sikh Temple in Bristol, to try to woo voters from the city's large Sikh community to the Tories.

(Image: i-Images Picture Agency)

But it all went wrong when the bungling blond Tory started talking about alcohol - leading one women to confront him.

The Foreign Secretary described how travellers were forced to sneak whisky into India to avoid paying the high tariffs on imported Scotch.

"We have to bring it clinking in our suitcases - Johnny Walker - we have to bring in whisky," he said.



"There is a duty of 150% on imports of Scotch whisky, so we have to bring it duty free for our relatives.

"But imagine what we could do if there was a free trade deal between the UK and India."

But one unidentified woman in the audience was angry with Mr Johnson talking about selling alcohol in a Sikh temple.

"You’re talking about a trade deal between India and England on the basis of alcohol," she said.

"That is against our religion, so I wouldn’t want to put someone in power who wants to put more alcohol in India.

"It is causing a lot of problems there already, so there is no way am I going to vote Tory, because I don’t want alcohol.

"I’m a practising Sikh and to me that is outrageous".

A BBC reporter who was covering the event live tweeted the fallout of Boris' poor subject choice.

A flustered BoJo attempted to apologise - but the woman continued to berate him, telling him about the effect of alcohol on her family.

Sources close to the Foreign Secretary said Mr Johnson was “simply making the point that a free trade deal with, for example India, could be huge for both sides pointing out that in India billions of litres of whisky are consumed every year but there is at 120% on imports of Scotch whisky.”

They said one lady had expressed her views based on a personal situation, but “the other 30 attendees warmly welcomed his remarks.”

Mr Johnson was also criticised by the Sikh Federation.

Its General Secretary Bhai Narinderjit Singh said the Foreign Secretary needed to be much better prepared if he wanted to win Sikh votes from Labour.

"No politician in his right mind would speak in a Gurdwara about a trade deal involving alcohol.

"Boris Johnson should know much better after all he is the Foreign Secretary and his mother in law in a Sikh.

"Ministers and other politicians that visit Gurdwaras need to understand the basic protocols and the live issues or they just show they are out of touch with the Sikh community and do not deserve our votes."

"Another own goal by Boris, at this rate Labour will win hands down as far as the Sikh community is concerned."

In a bad day for top Tories, Mr Johnson's error follows the Chancellor's car crash interview on the BBC this morning.

(Image: Getty Images Europe)

Philip Hammond didn't appear to know the true cost of HS2 - the major rail project linking London with Leeds, Birmingham and the East Midlands on the Today programme this morning.

Then the PM seemed to suggest that the fall in the Sterling has started before the Brexit vote - it hadn't.