Boris Johnson’s foreign policy is a combination of pompous internationalism and wilful parochialism
One of the first comedy routines I can remember seeing was Les Dawson, on some Saturday night light entertainment show, playing the piano badly, which he did well. It takes mastery of the music to get the right notes wrong.
It is the technique that Boris Johnson uses when speaking French. “Prenez un grip,” was his response to fury in Paris at the Aukus security deal with Australia and the US that was agreed behind French backs. “Donnez-moi un break,” the prime minister added.
Rafael Behr is a Guardian columnist
