Boris Johnson caught on camera telling cabbie to "f*ck off and die"

Oh Boris…

Normally a master orator, someone adept at crafting a memorable turn of phrase, Boris Johnson has been filmed telling a black cab driver in London to "fuck off and die".

The London Mayor was captured on camera riding his Boris bike (not a cycle hire, mind) around Islington just after midnight on Friday 5 June as one passing cabbie decided to give him a piece of his mind about private hire firms like Uber. From there, the mood turned rather heated and Johnson replied by telling him to “Fuck off”, and following it up with the equally as childish line, “Fuck off and die and not in that order”.

Not quite Churchillian, was it? Or even physically possible for that matter. Even so, this isn't the first time Johnson’s incurred the wrath of cabbies over the unstoppable rise of Uber, and we’ve a feeling the politician would have wished he’d dealt with it a bit better, particularly with rumours of a bid for David Cameron's job showing no signs of abating.

However, speaking to The Guardian, one of his aides defended Johnson's actions: "Boris has dozens of chance conversations with Londoners every week. Many are productive and friendly, some are colourful, I know most end happily. I believe this particular cabbie however is a serial heckler."

Across the years, Bo-Jo's everyman, one-of-the-people shtick has never failed to harm his cult status among the public, always reminding us that he's not really like most privileged politicians festooned in Whitehall, even if he is. But was his latest example of ‘banter’ a bit too far?

Let us know your thoughts below.

[Images: Rex]