The PM’s frivolous style won’t be missed in the EU, but his serious side emerged on Ukraine
Boris Johnson’s supporters last week championed his legacy as a bullish enforcer of the British people’s will against European technocrats.
But it could also, to the visible distress of his own negotiators, lead to a sudden change in British positions: Johnson would suddenly pivot to accept EU arguments, driving a coach and horses through his own team’s position. Varadkar called back to the commission to debrief Barnier and his team and told them that Johnson understood that there had to be a regulatory border down the Irish Sea to avoid one on the island of Ireland.
A clash of political styles was visually on display when Johnson met his German foreign minister counterpart Frank-Walter Steinmeier in Berlin in November 2016. At a joint press conference, the Tory politician tried to greet the Social Democrat with a fist bump. Steinmeier, who had previously described Johnson as “irresponsible”, replied with a half-hearted and awkward fist-shake.
Macron was also said to be irked at Johnson’s habit of clowning around and adopting a wild-west-style gunfighter’s pose whenever the pair met at international events. “You could tell he was in his element, performing in front of the press,” recalled Zimmermann, a party ally of the German chancellor, Olaf Scholz.
Australia Latest News, Australia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Tory MPs take sides as race to replace Boris Johnson begins in earnest – UK politics liveFormer chancellor Rishi Sunak claims to have the support of between 80 and 100 MPs, though only a handful have declared their support publicly
Read more »
Former UK Finance Minister Rishi Sunak declares bid to replace Boris JohnsonThe former finance minister announced that he will run for the top job days after Boris Johnson said he will step down, promising to rebuild trust with the British people.
Read more »
Carrie Johnson: why did the media take such an interest in Boris Johnson’s wife?PM’s spouse faced scrutiny about her influence in No 10, and regularly clashed with his chief aide Dominic Cummings
Read more »
Fears of ‘Trump moment’ before Boris Johnson was finally made to realise his time was upAs ministers argued with the PM’s inner circle late into the night, fears grew in Whitehall of a ‘Trump moment’
Read more »