Boris Johnson Uses Haggis Export Restrictions To Argue With Ruth Davidson At BBC EU Referendum Debate

Tonight's debate was every bit as mad as you'd expect.

Boris Johnson tonight launched a passionate case for leaving the EU.

In a bid to reveal the list of goods EU members are banned from trading, the former mayor of London and Brexit campaigner highlighted Britain's lack of ability to export haggis to the US.

Batting down repeated interjections from his opponent on the 'Remain' side of a BBC debate, Scottish Tories leader Ruth Davidson, Johnson's argument went a little bit like this:

Johnson had talked over Davidson to claim that "because of our EU system ... we cannot export haggis to the US".

He suggested that because the UK's trade negotiation policy was handed over to the EU Commission, Britain was unable to broker "essential free trade deals with all the great economies of the world".

Despite repeated attempts to interject by Davidson, an endeavour she eventually succeeded in once debate chair David Dimbleby had calmed proceedings, Johnson ploughed on through with his point about the Scottish delicacy.

But Johnson's argument left many on social media despairing at the state of the EU referendum debate ahead of Thursday's vote.

The use of the example also managed to rile the 'Stronger In' campaign, which accused Johnson's haggis claim of "unravelling already".

It came when they pointed to the fact that restriction on the food were actually enforced and legislated for by the US - not the EU.

The BBC's economic editor Kamal Ahmed confirmed the haggis import ban into the US was not in fact a fault of the EU.

After Johnson had repeatedly talked over her, a heated Davidson eventually fired back: "Come on now, it's not the Boris show."

She was finally able to ask her question of the ex-London mayor, which was to name one country that would give Britain a better trade deal if its citizens voted for Brexit.

After blustering from both sides, presenter Dimbleby interjected to tell both participants: "On that note, we have to move on."

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