The foreign secretary got into difficulties over the details of the Queen’s speech when doing the rounds of the broadcasters

Boris Johnson struggled to explain the key points of the Queen’s speech in a radio interview on Wednesday night, repeatedly pausing and sighing “hang on a second” as he could be heard riffling through papers.

The foreign secretary was sent out to promote the Conservatives’ legislative priorities for this parliament, with interviews on Sky News and Channel 4 News as well as Radio 4’s PM.

Johnson appeared to have the greatest difficulties with PM presenter Eddie Mair’s questions about the measures the speech contained to tackle the “burning injustices” identified by Theresa May.

Mair began by asking the MP what the Queen’s speech would do to tackle discrimination against black people in the criminal justice system – an issue highlighted by the prime minister when she took office last year.

Boris Johnson’s interview disaster won’t be treated like Diane Abbott’s | Hugh Muir Read more

Johnson replied hesitantly: “Well, there are measures, I believe, in the bill on the courts which I think is supposed to address some of those issues. I think one thing in particular that we are looking at is measures to ... hang on a second ... there are all sorts of measures that we want to take to ensure that we do not discriminate against everybody.”

The interview can be heard on the BBC iPlayer and begins at about 26 mins.

Mair then asked about how the speech would help white working class boys attend university and the foreign secretary gave a response that avoided answering Mair’s question.

The presenter then turned to mental health care, at which point Johnson tried to return to the first question, only to be told by Mair: “It’s not a Two Ronnies sketch – you can’t answer the question before last.”

Asked why so many measures from the Conservative manifesto had been ditched so soon after the election, Johnson was more candid. “I’m not going to hide it from you that the election did not turn out exactly as we would have hoped,” he replied. “It’s our job to form a government if we possibly can and to get on with what I think is a very progressive Queen’s speech.”

Asked what the point of the prime minister was given the doubt about whether the Tories would be able to get legislation through the Commons, Johnson said: “The point of the prime minister is to lead the country, to give a lead on these key issues and to take this Queen’s speech through, and she will. She will do a great job. The people of this country, I think, have had pretty much enough of elections. I think most people want a period of calm.”

The Leave campaigner also told Channel 4 News that Brexit could be finalised in two years with no transitional deal. “What I certainly think we can do is get the best of both worlds”, Johnson said. That would mean “frictionless, tariff-free trade”, while “also being able to do free trade deals”.

He also said he was not about to challenge May for the Tory leadership: “We have got to get on and deliver on the priorities of the people.”

Johnson also seemed to suggest that a controversial visit by President Donald Trump would go ahead later this year.

He told Sky News that a date was not mentioned in the Queen’s speech on Wednesday because a date was yet to be agreed with the White House.

