Boris Johnson dismissed Macron as ‘Putin’s lickspittle’, says former comms chief

'Much as Boris is not prone to getting really cross, nor using particularly strong language, this was one where he really flipped at our morning meeting'

Boris Johnson (left) greets French President Emmanuel Macron. File Picture: Alastair Grant/PA

Boris Johnson dismissed Emmanuel Macron as “Putin’s lickspittle” after the French president criticised the then-British prime minister’s response to the Ukrainian refugee crisis, according to a former leading No 10 official.

Mr Johnson also called Mr Macron a “four-letter word that begins with c”, former Downing Street director of communication Guto Harri said in his podcast Unprecedented.