Boris Johnson’s Brexit Bliss Bomb: Aussie classic boosts PM’s mood

He hoodwinked the Queen, illegally suspended parliament and his Brexit plan lies in tatters. But Boris Johnson has had a win with a special gift of his favourite classic Aussie confectionary.

He hoodwinked the Queen, illegally suspended parliament and his Brexit plan lies in tatters but Boris Johnson has had one win with a 1980s Australian confectionary boosting his mood and prospects for a trade deal to ballast post-Brexit Britain.

The British Prime Minister faces the greatest test of his leadership amid calls for him to resign after a devastating ruling by Britain’s highest court on the illegality of his attempt to suspend parliament to stymie MP’s Brexit debate.

But his mood has been lifted with news his favourite Aussie snacks Lolly Gobble Bliss Bombs popcorn and the Polly Waffle are making a comeback to supermarket shelves and his confirming Australia will be one of the first countries to sign on as a trading partner in post-Brexit Britain.

A Boris Johnson care package of Lolly Gobble Bliss Bombs sent to 10 Downing Street to encourage a post Brexit trade deal between Australia and UK. Picture: Charles Miranda

He revealed his passion for these snacks prior to becoming the PM, from when he lived in Melbourne as a teaching assistant in 1983, and bemoaned now why it was the confectionary was not available in the UK.

“The Prime Minister was most grateful to you for thinking of him at this time and is looking forward to being re-acquainted with the Lolly Gobble Bliss Bombs and other 1980s treats,” an official memo from 10 Downing Street declared, after News Corp sent the British leader a well-timed care package of Aussie snack favourites.

“The Prime Minister has asked me to thank you for sending him a box of Australian confectionary which includes his favourite Lolly Gobble Bliss Bombs. He has asked me to send his best wishes to you.”

Number 10 responds to News Corp’s post-Brexit trade deal. Picture: Charles Miranda

The memo was signed by Helena Hopkins MBE, Johnson’s Head of the “Garden Rooms”, a 100-year-old unit within the PM’s official residence at Number 10 that deals around-the-clock with the PM’s affairs, look after their interests and accompany them on official travel abroad.

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The snack saga began some years ago after Johnson was made honorary Australia of the Year by the Australia Day Foundation in recognition of his work to promote Australian-British relations and seek options for visa-free passenger movement between the nations.

Boris Johnson reveals his love of all things Australian including classic snacks. Picture: Ella Pellegrini

It was at that time he asked this News Corp journalist and the UK’s South Australian agent general for trade and investment Bill Muirhead: “What ever happened to Lolly Gobble Bliss Bombs? I use to like those, you know crunchy, and when I went back to Australia I couldn’t find them on the shelves. They came in a box, a boxed snack, do they exist and how do I get them?”

He went on to talk about the snack and how other choc classics the Polly Waffle and Violet Crumble sustained him during his time in Geelong and Melbourne and wondered why they were not exported.

“It was because they thought that if the citizens of Europe ever tasted a Polly Waffle, they’d never eat Toblerone again,” he joked at the time.

What’s in the box? A Boris Johnson care package of Lolly Gobble Bliss Bombs sent to 10 Downing Street. Picture: Charles Miranda

The Australia Post branch master in Sydney with the package on its way to Number 10 in London. Picture: Charles Miranda

This newspaper promised they would send him a box of the snacks which indeed still existed, when he became foreign minister and secured better visa-free and bilateral trade outcomes for Aussies.

Freedom of movement between the countries is actively being considered “as an absolute priority” now as part of post-Brexit business talks, the UK’s International trade minister Liz Truss confirmed last week. She also confirmed to reduce the impact of Brexit, Britain was looking at securing trade deals with non-EU nations and Australia has been chosen as one of the first countries to be signed up. Our bilateral trade is already worth $27 billion.

Lolly Gobbles are already on the shelves and Mr Muirhead confirmed Adelaide-based firm Robern Menz (Robern Menz) had bought the Polly Waffle brand with the bar to return to shelves in late 2020. He said iconic Australian confectionaries were “very close to his (Johnson’s) heart”.

“Boris loves Australia and I’m sure it will be good for us,” Mr Muirhead said of a trade deal with Australia, although he added he did not know whether that would include the Lolly Gobble or the Polly Waffle.

Originally published as Boris Johnson’s Brexit Bliss Bomb: Aussie classic boosts PM’s mood