Liz Truss needn’t apologise to Emmanuel Macron for saying jury’s out on whether he is friend or foe, says minister

A Cabinet minister has said Liz Truss should not apologise to French president Emmanuel Macron for saying the jury is out on whether he is a friend or foe of Britain.

Culture Secretary Michelle Donelan also suggested one of the reasons to justify such a comment could be the level of co-operation from France in stopping migrants crossing the Channel to UK. Ms Truss appeared to be seeking to strike a more conciliatory tone ahead of a meeting today with Mr Macron at a United Nations summit in New York.

The Prime Minister stressed the need for a “constructive relationship” with France to combat Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine and reduce migrant crossings of the Channel in small boats.

But asked on Times Radio whether the Prime Minister should apologise to the French president, who was at the Queen’s state funeral, for her “jury’s out” remark during the Tory leadership contest, Ms Donelan said on Tuesday: “Absolutely not.”

Pressed on why Mr Macron could be more “foe” than “friend”, she added: “There are a range of different things we could look back on in relation to things like immigration and what has been happening there on our borders.”

But Lib Dem Cabinet Office spokesperson Christine Jardine said: “Liz Truss must stop insulting our closest allies, especially ones which stand shoulder to shoulder with Britain against Putin’s aggression.”

Ms Truss did not repeat her “jury’s out” comment when speaking to journalists travelling with her to the UN summit, but stressed that she wants a “constructive relationship with France” on issues like Ukraine and energy, as well as immigration.

More than 25,000 migrants have crossed the English Channel from France this year, according to the latest Home Office statistics.

The numbers are continuing to rise despite the Government’s plan to send asylum seekers to Rwanda, which it claimed would deter people from making the crossing.