#Breakfastgate is doing the rounds on social media after Britain’s chief negotiator and his team were reported to have enjoyed a “patriotic breakfast” before Brexit negotiations kicked off yesterday.
David Frost enjoyed sausages, baked beans, bacon and eggs in the palatial British ambassador’s residence in Brussels before leading a team of 100 UK officials into the European Commission’s Berlaymont headquarters on Monday, The Telegraph reported.
But it didn’t take long for commentators to pick up on the nonsensical nature of the article which read more like “propaganda than journalism“.
Patriotic breakfast
LBC presenter James O’Brien led the charge, highlighting the global origins of the classic ‘Full English’.
He said: “Sausages were invented by Sumerians circa 3000BC; all beans used in baked beans are native to South America; pork was first salted in ancient China & hens were first domesticated in ancient Egypt.
“What an awful joke Brexit is making of the UK.”
Trade expert Dmitry Grozoubinski also jumped on, saying:
“I once made the mistake of heading into a negotiation powered only by a seditious petit-déjeuner.
“I’m not allowed to disclose exactly what happened but suffice it to say things didn’t go as planned and New Zealand is now an independent country or something.”
Utterly embarrassed
The Telegraph’s patriotic breakfast feature comes just days after its Sunday edition splashed news of Boris Johnson and Carrie Symonds’ upcoming nuptials that led to accusations of the paper becoming a “state broadcaster“.
Steve Parks tweeted: “Frankly, if people working at the Telegraph are not utterly embarrassed by this edition, they don’t deserve to call themselves journalists”.
While one user added: “Even Kim Jong Un would be embarrassed by this country’s media”.
Related: Twitter reacts to news of Boris Johnson & Carie Symonds’ baby announcement