Varadkar says Boris Johnson was never truly pro‑Brexit

Former Taoiseach Leo Varadkar told listeners on The Pat Kenny Show that he does not believe former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson was ever genuinely in favour of Brexit.

Varadkar made the comments after Prime Minister Andy Burnham discussed the possibility of a new UK vote on EU membership in a BBC interview with Chris Mason, saying “things are possible” and that the current situation “isn’t good enough”.

During the interview, Ciara Doherty asked Varadkar how he thought the politicians who drove Brexit would react to Burnham’s remarks. Varadkar replied that Johnson “was wrapped up in a weird thing” and that the former prime minister likely expected the referendum to be defeated, using the outcome as a “mathematical political calculation” rather than a principled stance.

Varadkar added that he still has Johnson’s phone number but they are not in regular contact, and he questioned whether Johnson would be “bothered” if the UK later pursued re‑entry to the EU.

The discussion also touched on potential implications for Ireland, such as the UK possibly joining the Schengen area or adopting the euro, though Varadkar noted that any such moves would not be imminent.

Source: Newstalk. Photo: Gotta Be Worth It / Pexels.