Judging by this, Boris Johnson’s negotiating skills might need a bit of work.
Step forward Carlo Calenda, Italian Minister of Economic Development and his country’s former envoy to Brussels, who has accused the Foreign Secretary of “insulting” the people of Italy during a discussion about Brexit and the sales of prosecco.
Speaking to Bloomberg Television, Calenda explained how Boris had warned him that Italy’s sales of the sparkling white wine might take a nosedive if the European Union didn’t allow Britain to remain in the single market.
“He basically said, ‘I don’t want free movement of people but I want the single market’,” Mr Calenda explained.
“I said, ‘no way.’ He said, ‘you’ll sell less prosecco’. I said, ‘OK, you’ll sell less fish and chips, but I’ll sell less prosecco to one country and you’ll sell less to 27 countries”
“Putting things on this level is a bit insulting.”
“You can’t say that it’s sensible to say we want access to the single market but no free circulation of people,” Calenda added. “It’s obvious that doesn’t make any sense whatsoever.”
The comments have also caught the attention of former Deputy PM John Prescott, who described Boris’ negotiating skills as ‘rather inept’.
Italian economic development minister Carlo Calenda explains Boris Johnson's rather inept negotiating skills as Foreign Secretary. #PMQs pic.twitter.com/LPFesPF7x9
— John Prescott (@johnprescott) November 16, 2016
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