UK leader Johnson faces backlash over confrontational tone

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson faced a backlash from furious lawmakers Thursday over his use of charged and confrontational language in Parliament about opponents of his Brexit plan.

The Speaker of the House of Commons warned that the country's political culture had turned "toxic."
He also brushed off concerns that his forceful language might endanger legislators as "humbug."
The Labour lawmaker was murdered a week before Britain's EU membership referendum by a far-right attacker shouting "death to traitors."
There was uproar in the Commons after Johnson replied: "I've never heard such humbug in all my life." Labour legislator Jess Phillips on Thursday accused Johnson of deploying a "strategy to divide."
Phillips urged Johnson to act like a "statesman" and apologize. Johnson's spokesman, James Slack, declined to say sorry. But he said the prime minister believed that sending threats or intimidation to politicians was "completely unacceptable."
Johnson's critics included his sister Rachel Johnson, an opponent of Brexit who called his language "tasteless."
Johnson's 10 Downing St. office insisted that good progress was being made, although it said "there are significant obstacles remaining to concluding a deal."