Boris Johnson published poem caling for "extermination" of 'verminous Scottish race'

The current front runner for the Conservative Party leadership - and potentially the next Prime Minister of the entire United Kingdom - Boris Johnson, published an apparently satirical poem calling for the "extermination" of the Scottish people, and comparing them to rats by describing them as a "verminous race". In 2004, during his time as the Editor of The Spectator magazine, the former Foreign Secretary - and then authorised and signed off on the publication of the anti-Scottish poem, entitled "Friendly Fire". Written by a staff writer, James Michie, the supposedly satirical prose described Scottish people as "tartan dwarves" who were "polluting our [English] stock". At the time, the Director of the Commission for Racial Equality in Scotland, Maureen Fraser, said that even though the poem was intended as satire, the language went too far, stating:

''We find this poem very offensive and the language is deeply inflammatory. It does nothing to promote race relations and undermines relations between Scotland and the rest of Britain, and our relationship with other countries.''

''Some of the language, such as 'comprehensive extermination' and 'polluting our stock', is completely and utterly unacceptable. It cannot be tolerated.''

If elected as Tory leader, Johnson would become the UK Prime Minister, meaning he would be ultimately responsible for the people of all its nations, including Scotland. However, Johnson's apparent dislike of the Scottish people appears to be entirely mutual, with just one in ten Scots believing he would make a good PM and a staggering 70% saying he would be bad. Johnson is also considered so toxic in Scotland that he was barred from appearing at his own party's Scottish Conference, and Scottish Tory MPs even launched a bid, ironically code-named "Operation Arse", to stop him from becoming Prime Minister. You can read the poem published by Boris Johnson in full below:

Friendly Fire, by James Michie

  The Scotch - what a verminous race! Canny, pushy, chippy, they're all over the place, Battening off us with false bonhomie, Polluting our stock, undermining our economy. Down with sandy hair and knobbly knees! Suppress the tartan dwarves and the Wee Frees! Ban the kilt, the skean-dhu and the sporran As provocatively, offensively foreign! It's time Hadrian's Wall was refortified To pen them in a ghetto on the other side. I would go further. The nation Deserves not merely isolation But comprehensive extermination. We must not flinch from a solution. (I await legal prosecution.)