Boris Johnson blames EU for kipper rules, which are actually British – video

Speaking at the final of the Tory hustings on Wednesday, the likely-to-be PM Boris Johnson held up a kipper and claimed regulations imposed by 'Brussels bureaucrats' were damaging trade. Holding up the plastic-wrapped fish, he said cost had increased for fishermen since EU regulations had imposed 'that each kipper must be accompanied by a plastic ice pillow'. He added it was 'pointless, pointless, expensive, environmentally damaging "elf and safety"'.

However, on Thursday the European commission quashed Johnson's claims, pointing out that these claims were false. 'The case described by Mr Johnson falls outside the scope of the EU legislation and it's purely a UK national competence'

• Kipper rules Boris Johnson blamed on EU are actually British, says Brussels