Boris Johnson has been criticised for “wild and inappropriate” comments about President Hollande of France Getty ImagesDowning Street has denied that Boris Johnson was comparing the French government to the Nazis after the foreign secretary compared President Hollande of France to a Second World War guard administering “punishment beatings”. In remarks which are understood to have dismayed the French government, Mr Johnson was asked about a reported comment from one of Mr Hollande’s aides, who said Britain should not expect a better trading relationship with Europe from outside the EU. The foreign secretary responded: “If M Hollande wants to administer punishment beatings to anyone who chooses to escape, rather in the manner of some World War Two movie, then I don’t think that’s the way forward. It’s not in the interests of our friends or our partners.”The comments were denounced…

Source: The Times January 18, 2017 17:08 UTC