Quote of the day by Boris Johnson: 'My policy on cake is pro having it and pro eating it' and how it became a key phrase of Brexit

Boris Johnson's quote 'My policy on cake is pro having it and pro eating it' became popular during the 2016 Brexit referendum campaign.

Johnson as foreign secretary argued the UK could retain EU single market benefits without accepting its rules, such as free movement.

The phrase 'cakeism' was used by Johnson to represent British optimism and a rejection of defeatism in Brexit negotiations.

Critics and EU negotiators viewed the quote as proof of an unrealistic strategy based on magical thinking.