WATCH: Prime Minister Boris Johnson heckled during conference in South Yorkshire

Prime Minister Boris Johnson MP, speaking at the Convention of the North at the Magna Centre. Pic Steve Ellis

Boris Johnson was heckled during a speech at the Magna Centre over his decision to suspend Parliament as he gave a speech on handing power to northern leaders in Rotherham.

The Prime Minister said: "I know the transformative potential of local accountable leadership, someone with the power to sort out what matters most to local people."

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Interrupting the broadcast being televised live, a man shouted: "Like our MPs, Boris?"

"Yes, indeed," Mr Johnson replied.

The heckler continued: "Maybe get back to Parliament. Yeah? Why are you not with them in Parliament sorting out the mess that you have created? Why don't you sort it out, Boris?"

Mr Johnson said: "I'm very happy to get back to Parliament very soon, but what we want to see in this region is towns and communities able to represent that gentlemen and sort out his needs."

"Whatever the shenanigans that may be going on at Westminster, we will get on with delivering our agenda and preparing to take this country out of the EU on October 31," he said.

"There will be ample time for Parliament to consider the deal that I very much hope to do at the EU summit on October 17-18.

"There will be ample time, as the gentlemen I think... who left prematurely, not necessarily under his own steam, that is the answer to his question.

"To have a Queen's Speech and set out our domestic agenda.

"I don't think people realise we've missed about four days of parliamentary sitting time."

The PM said he was "cautiously optimistic" over getting a new deal negotiated with Brussels that can win the backing of MPs.

Mr Johnson said: "We are working incredibly hard to get a deal. There is the rough shape of the deal to be done.

"As some of you may have seen, I myself have been to talk to various other EU leaders particularly in Germany, in France and in Ireland, where we made a good deal of progress.

"I'm seeing (the) President of the Commission and the chief negotiator Michel Barnier on Monday and we will talk about the ideas that we've been working on and we will see where we get.

"I would say I'm cautiously optimistic."