Boris and Chuka tell each other to 'man-up' in EU row live on air

'Man-up'. 'No, you man-up'

Boris Johnson and Chuka Umunna have traded furious blows over the EU during a radio phone-in.

Mr Umunna called the London Mayor’s monthly phone-in on LBC to accuse him of backing Brexit for his own personal gain - a charge furiously rejected by Mr Johnson.

Both men told each other to "man up" and "admit" they were scaremongering over Britain’s future in Europe.

Mr Johnson quoted Mr Umunna as saying 50 per cent of British legislation is made by Brussels - which Mr Umunna denied.

The mayor said “You said 50 per cent, don’t weasel around, come on, man up”.

“No, you man up”, Mr Ummuna replied.

The former shadow business secretary, who called into the show as “Chuka from Streatham”, accused the mayor of “talking down our country”.

Labour’s former shadow Business Secretary Chuka Umunna criticised Mr Johnson for making the announcement in front of a 'circus' of reporters (AFP)

He contrasted Mr Johnson’s announcement - which saw him making the announcement outside his north London home to a “circus” of reporters” - with Justice Secretary Michael Gove’s decision to announce he was backing Brexit at the official launch of the campaign.

He said: “I’m a Londoner, you’re our mayor. I’m looking at those campaigning for us to come out – take Michael Gove. I disagree with Michael on a huge amount but he is a man of conviction.

“You brought a circus to your house to make your announcement instead of campaigning with Michael and Iain Duncan Smith and the others. What you need to understand is this isn’t about you, this is about our city.”

He said Mr Johnson was misleading the public with his claim that Britain could negotiate a free trade agreement with the EU, saying it would not give the country full access to the single market.

But Mr Johnson said the Remain campaign was “completely freaked out” by what he said about a possible deal and he said he only wanted to used it as a model for “a British deal”.

He said: “We’ve been in the EU for 40 years. We are a massive economy. There’s no reason why we shouldn’t do a deal very rapidly indeed”.