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If I'm following this correctly our strong "Hulk" leader has just refused a joint press conference because of some booing.
Playing to the domestic media is fine if you can actually justify it. We've been flunking that in Brexit talks since the start.
Playing to the domestic media is fine if you can actually justify it. We've been flunking that in Brexit talks since the start.
UK politicians should be saying this (and to be fair a few have stood up)
But honestly, the PM has just mucked up a diplomatic visit to Luxembourg. Badly enough that the host PM has given a press conference with an empty lectern next to him. This is absolutely basic diplomacy. Something has gone badly wrong.
On top of the failure to attend the EU General Affairs Council today this has been a truly dreadful day for UK diplomacy. We are frequently baffling and too often offending friends all over Europe.
And this by the way is what should have happened... just basic stuff
So apparently... not sure if this makes it better or worse.
I'm with @garvanwalshe here - something has to be going very badly wrong for Bettel to do this press conference on his own. Either a very hostile meeting, and / or Johnson has flounced off leaving Number 10 to concoct a line 
@garvanwalshe And in a negotiating sense it doesn't really matter - it is quite clear that Luxembourg is not on side for any concessions to the UK, which was presumably the purpose of the meeting.
@garvanwalshe This is a good one...
@garvanwalshe This sounds most likely to be true... Johnson ran from the crowd.
And know what - had he done a presser with booing crowds he could have shown himself to be strong. Not a good look to refuse.
And know what - had he done a presser with booing crowds he could have shown himself to be strong. Not a good look to refuse.
@garvanwalshe Right, plenty of such tweets, one easy answer - Number 10 traditionally plan PM visits down to intricate level, including vetting all press conferences and locations. No host would arrange a double press conference without UK approval - therefore...
@garvanwalshe Johnson's team agreed this press conference, then at some late point changed their mind. Possibly as a result of a meeting going very badly, possibly due to the crowd. Either way, something went badly wrong in what is usually a highly efficient process.
@garvanwalshe Questions then - did officials not realise there would be protestors immediately outside? Seems unlikely, simply as PM security would have cleared arrangements. So suspect noise was not the factor, rather the meeting went very badly and Johnson walked.
@garvanwalshe On this basis officials and the PM had to come up with a story after Bettel did the press conference on his own, and came up with noise, rather than say the meeting went badly.
Speculation indeed, but the choice is either poor prep, or bad meeting.
Speculation indeed, but the choice is either poor prep, or bad meeting.
