Some friendly advice from a man who knows what he’s talking about.
President of the European Council Donald Tusk set the cat amongst the pigeons on Wednesday morning when he told reporters: “I’ve been wondering what that special place in hell looks like, for those who promoted Brexit, without even a sketch of a plan how to carry it out safely.”
Tusk then doubled down on the harsh words by tweeting them out minutes after the press conference ended.
Footage has since emerged of Irish prime minister Leo Varadkar giving Tusk a friendly warning after the remarks. As the pair left their podiums, Varadkar can be heard to say: “They’ll give you terrible trouble in the British press for that” while the men laugh and shake hands.
Tusk appears to say: “Yes, I know.”
Watch the exchange below:
"They'll give you terrible trouble in the British press for that": Microphones pick up what Ireland's PM said to European Council President Donald Tusk after he said there is a "special place in hell" for those who promoted Brexit without a plan https://t.co/ixSftRQYPl pic.twitter.com/OnN3XwA8D9
— ITV News (@itvnews) February 6, 2019
You can also hear a reporter shouting “What do you think the place in hell looks like?” but to no response from either politician.
Varadkar himself is no stranger to being targeted by the British press. On several occasions, tabloid newspaper The Sun has singled the Taoiseach out for personal criticism — calling him naive, an airhead, and advising him to “shut his gob”.
