Boris Johnson has mocked Theresa May by telling Libyan politicians her disastrous decision to call an election shows the dangers of going to the polls too early.
The Foreign Secretary made the comments on a trip to Libya, to leaders as discussed with them how to stabilise the country following western intervention and the fall of Colonel Gaddafi.
Hours after his words were reported, Mr Johnson risked a further row with the Prime Minister when he failed to back her position on student immigration data.
The Foreign Secretary told BBC Radio 4 that the Prime Minister's failure to secure a majority in June had highlighted the risk of calling an election too soon, and how it can serve to further undermine stability.
Writing in The Telegraph he warned that unless Libya can reach a political union it risks becoming the “frontline” in the UK's fight against terrorism and illegal immigration.
Mr Johnson underlined the country’s difficulties in The Telegraph, writing: “In Libya today there are three guns for every human – but there is no single source of law or authority, let alone power.
“There are two central banks, two rival parliaments, three prime ministers and up to four governments.”
The Foreign Secretary was also repeatedly asked on Friday in an interview, if he agreed with Theresa May that the number of overseas students should be counted in net migration data, but failed to back her.
The interview followed the revelation that ministers may have based their policies on data that vastly overestimated the number of foreign students staying in the UK after studies.
