Brexit: David Davis claims Jean-Claude Juncker is 'trying to get him sacked'

'If they don't want me across the table, there's a reason - it is in Britain's interests, not theirs'

Brexit Secretary David Davies has claimed that Jean-Claude Juncker is trying to get him sacked by briefing against him (EPA)

Brexit Secretary David Davis has claimed Jean-Claude Juncker, the European Commission President, is trying to get him fired by leaking potentially damaging stories about him to the press.

Pointing to critical briefings given recently to German newspapers, he told The Telegraph: “All these stories are briefing against me trying to get me sacked - which of course is a compliment by the way.

“If they don’t want me across the table, there's a reason for that – it is in Britain’s interests, not theirs.”

His comments came after details of a tense Downing Street dinner attended by Mr Juncker, the Prime Minister and Mr Davis were leaked to a German newspaper earlier this month, sparking a diplomatic row.

The article in Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ) claimed Ms May was “not amused” by Mr Davis bringing up a legal challenge he issued against the Government in the European courts when he was a backbench MP, over the UK’s powers of surveillance.

“The visitors wondered whether Davis would still be in charge of the negotiations after the election,” the report said.

Mr Juncker has since admitted that it was a “serious mistake” to leak details of the dinner, but denied he was behind the information getting out.

Both British and German newspapers had both speculated that Mr Juncker’s chief of staff, Martin Selmayr, was behind the revelations.

But Mr Davis insisted the European Commission President had deliberately been trying to undermine him by leaking stories including the account of the Downing Street dinner to the media.

He said he believed that Mr Junker and his team would like to see the Conservatives have problems at home, because they recognise a large majority will help the UK’s negotiations to leave the EU by giving Ms May a strong mandate.

“They understand that a vote for Theresa May reinforces her negotiating hand,” he said.

“One of the things that may have led to that briefing is the fact they know a big mandate from the British people is a big mandate in the negotiation and helps [us] and doesn’t help him.”

Mr Davis added that he believes Mr Junker has learned his lesson and will no longer “meddle” in British politics.

“I think to be honest he has now learned his lesson," he said.