Boris Johnson denies freedom of movement comments

The Foreign Secretary has denied telling four ambassadors he supported freedom of movement, telling Sky: "I said no such thing."

Boris Johnson said he had told the ambassadors during a breakfast meeting that immigration had been a good thing for the UK but denied supporting EU freedom of movement rules.

He said he told the high-ranking diplomats that immigration had "got out of control", disputing their account of the meeting.

Speaking under the Chatham House rules, which allow comments to be reported but not attributed, one ambassador had told Sky News: "He (Mr Johnson) did say he was personally in favour of free movement, as it corresponds to his own beliefs. But he said it wasn't Government policy."

Their comments were backed up by three others, suggesting that Mr Johnson says one thing in public but another in private.

And one diplomat, when asked by Sky News whether she was impressed with the UK, said on camera: "It's very hard to comment on whether I'm impressed with your government.

Latvian ambassador Baiba Baze added: "We are close, close partners on the Latvian side so we are very happy with our bilateral co-operation."

And when she was asked if her country had any frustrations with the UK, Ambassador Baze said: "We regret the referendum decision but we respect it, I mean, that's the way it is. As for the freedom of movement, if there is indeed the statement by the Prime Minister, we would like to see the freedom of movement guaranteed."

:: Boris Johnson tells ambassadors he supports 'freedom of movement'

Theresa May has made it clear that controlling immigration is key in Brexit negotiations and not something the UK will surrender.

Speaking in Italy after the ambassadors' comments were disclosed by Sky News, Mr Johnson said: "I am afraid I said absolutely no such thing and as you know perfectly well I have been a long-standing supporter of immigration and what I said, very clearly, to that group of ambassadors - I think it was at a breakfast meeting - was that immigration had been a good thing for the UK in many respects but that it had got out of control and that we needed to take back control."

Speaking in Edinburgh, Chancellor Philip Hammond said: "I think Boris from the discussions I have had with him, is in the same place as all the rest of us.

"What we want to do is ensure that we have a migration system which can support the UK economy, can allow the brightest and the best to come here and contribute to the UK economy and that represents the best possible outcome for the UK as a whole."

A number of prominent Vote Leave campaigners including Michael Gove and Iain Duncan Smith sprang to Mr Johnson's defence, accusing the ambassadors of being "not completely truthful" and telling people to "calm down".

Mr Duncan Smith questioned the motives of the diplomats and said Mr Johnson's comments had been taken out of context.

He said: "You will see all over European capitals there are a number of politicians and others behaving a little bit like children around the place, having a go at Boris Johnson and all sorts of name-calling going on.

"I think it's time they just calmed down and wait until we get going on the negotiations."

:: Boris Johnson's Foreign Office gaffes...so far

Mr Gove tweeted: "Briefing against @BorisJohnson from some renegade EU sources is counter-productive - he is pro managed migration - the only sensible course."

However, Liberal Democrat EU spokesman Nick Clegg said Mr Johnson was "treating the voters like fools".

The European Parliament describes the freedom of movement and residence for persons in the EU as the "cornerstone of Union membership", which was established by the Treaty of Maastricht in 1992.

Two weeks ago the Foreign Secretary was quoted in the Czech newspaper Hospodarske noviny as saying it was "b******s" that freedom of movement was a fundamental principle of the European Union.