Ministers have been told to stop referring to Boris Johnson as “Boris”, in an attempt to counter his “cabinet clown” reputation.
Whitehall mandarins are trying to clamp down on jokes being made at Mr Johnson’s expense which were apparently “making [his] job impossible”, according to an edict seen by the Mail on Sunday.
The edict tells ministers to refer to him as “Foreign Secretary" instead.
“Boris is a clever chap but he cannot stop playing the fool when he meets EU leaders. We think he is funny but to them he is disrespectful,” an unnamed minister told the Mail on Sunday.
The news comes as Boris Johnson was interviewed on Sky News and quizzed on the names of foreign leaders.
Presenter Dermot Murnaghan had previously asked shadow Foreign Secretary Emily Thornberry the name of the French foreign minister. Ms Thornberry responded brandishing the line of questioning a “pub quiz” and asked Mr Murnaghan if he had asked Mr Johnson similar questions.
Mr Murnaghan asked the Foreign Secretary to attempt one of the questions Ms Thornberry had struggled with.
“We are not getting into a pub quiz about leaders around the world,” Mr Johnson interjected.
“I am going to, with great respect invite you out the pub, Dermot, so that we can take these conversations further. I have a terrible feeling if I keep answering you, you will keep coming back with more”.
