Angela Eagle reacts to Boris Johnson's Cabinet appointment: 'They've just made him Foreign Secretary?'

Ms Eagle was speaking at a leadership campaign event when she heard the news

Labour leadership contender Angela Eagle was speaking at a campaign event when she was informed mid-speech that Boris Johnson had been made Foreign Secretary.

The former Shadow Secretary for Business, Innovation and Skills was even discussing Mr Johnson's public perception when she received the news of Theresa May's most controversial Cabinet appointment.

Ms Eagle said: "Oh Boris, he's fun, he's great. Bouncing around, going to be the next Prime Minister and all that, and they never actually..."

Then, clarifying what she heard from the crowd, she said: "They've just made him Foreign Secretary?"

To the hilarity of those attending, Ms Eagle released a weary sigh before turning her back on the audience.

When she faced the crowd again, the MP for Wallasey looked less than impressed.

Not alone in her reaction, fellow Labour MP David Lammy tweeted: "Boris Johnson as our Foreign Secretary? Is this a bad dream? An elaborate wind up? Please God help us."

US State Department spokesman Mark Toner stifled a laugh when he heard live on TV of the new Foreign Secretary's identity.

Mr Johnson, the de-facto leader of the Vote Leave campaign has said he is "very excited" on returning to front-line politics in one of the big three cabinet posts.

He told BBC News: "Obviously very, very humbled, very, very proud to be offered this chance.

"I think Theresa made a wonderful speech this afternoon about her ambitions for the country and how she saw the Conservative government taking Britain forward.

"I completely agree with her sentiments and about opportunity, about giving people better life chances.

"Clearly now we have a massive opportunity in this country to make a great success of our relationship with Europe and with the world and I'm very excited to be asked to play a part in that."