Stop petty politics

DIPLOMACY must sometimes be conducted publicly but the art of managing international relations is more often better served in private.

The Prime Minister was reminded of this today as the French withdrew their invitation to Priti Patel for a key summit in Calais this weekend. Representatives not only from France but also Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany and the European Commission are set to meet to discuss the migrant crisis following the death of 27 people in the Channel on Wednesday. Britain will now be excluded.

Whether Boris Johnson’s open letter to president Emmanuel Macron was a misjudgment or, as some have speculated, a deliberate act of provocation, the outcome is poor. And it will not help desperate migrants, buffeted by people smugglers and risking their lives at sea.

It is also disappointing that the French appear unable to rise above petty politics by allowing our Home Secretary to take a place at the table, given the gravity of the issue. Ultimately, all sides know that this crisis will only be solved by collaboration and communication between nations.