Boris Johnson is a ‘piece of work’, says ex-EU Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker

Jean-Claude Juncker said the former prime minister could have achieved a better Brexit deal if he had been more precise in talks

Boris Johnson and Jean-Claude Juncker (Stefan Rousseau/PA) (PA Archive)

Former European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker has described Boris Johnson as “a piece of work” who could have achieved a better Brexit deal if he had been more precise in the negotiations.

Mr Juncker welcomed Rishi Sunak’s new agreement with the EU on post-Brexit trading arrangements in Northern Ireland saying it should pave the way for the “normalising” of relations between the UK and Brussels.

But in remarks that may cause irritation in Downing Street, he suggested that it gave a greater role to the European institutions than some in Britain had acknowledged.