Boris_Johnson_UK_Foreign_Minister

Boris Johnson warns of Brexit “meltdown” in leaked comments

Written by Joseph Nordqvist

Published: 05:47, June 8, 2018

Boris Johnson reportedly said there may be a Brexit “meltdown”, adding that Britain is entering a phase where the country will become “much more combative with Brussels,” according to a recent report by Buzzfeed.

An audio recording at a closed-door gathering at the Institute of Directors in London, where the foreign secretary was speaking to a group of around 20 people, was obtained by BuzzFeed News.

Johnson said Prime Minister Theresa May was “going to go into a phase where we are much more combative with Brussels.”

He added: “You’ve got to face the fact that there may now be a meltdown. OK? I don’t want anybody to panic during the meltdown. No panic. Pro bono publico, no bloody panic. It’s going to be all right in the end.”

Boris_Johnson_UK_Foreign_Minister
In a recording obtained by BuzzFeed UK foreign secretary Boris Johnson made a warning about a Brexit “meltdown” and talked positively about US President Donald Trump.

Johnson also suggested that Philip Hammond’s department was “basically the heart of Remain”.

When asked about Donald Trump the foreign secretary made positive comments about the US President.

“I am increasingly admiring of Donald Trump,” Johnson said. “I have become more and more convinced that there is method in his madness.”

“Imagine Trump doing Brexit,” Johnson said. “He’d go in bloody hard… There’d be all sorts of breakdowns, all sorts of chaos. Everyone would think he’d gone mad. But actually, you might get somewhere. It’s a very, very good thought.”

Johnson also said that U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had asked Britain for help in dismantling North Korean nuclear weapons.

Joseph Nordqvist Avatar

Other News

Archer to acquire Boeing’s Wisk, Insitu and SkyGrid businesses

Aug 10, 2026

CECO orders nearly triple as power projects push backlog above $1.8 billion

Aug 10, 2026

Rocket Lab revenue climbs 62% as backlog reaches record $2.36 billion

Aug 10, 2026

Workforce health becomes a business issue as productivity costs mount

Aug 10, 2026

Why some companies pay much less tax than others

Aug 10, 2026

Cybersecurity study finds convenience can outweigh compliance

Aug 10, 2026

AI system helps robots perform learned tasks up to 3.2 times faster

Aug 8, 2026

Meaningful work may come from accepting career uncertainty

Aug 8, 2026

Nvidia reportedly plans up to $3 billion investment in Lancium

Aug 8, 2026

Why businesses are being urged to prepare for tighter microplastics rules

Aug 7, 2026

Retiring a working gasoline car for an EV can cut lifetime emissions, study finds

Aug 7, 2026

U.S. businesses produced more per hour, but labor’s share of output hit a record low

Aug 6, 2026

Researchers test continuous method for making leather-like fabric from fungal mycelium

Aug 6, 2026

U.S. renters expect to move less as homeownership feels further out of reach

Aug 6, 2026

CEO confidence turns positive as pessimism recedes, but investment remains cautious

Aug 6, 2026

Digital tools could reshape women’s entrepreneurship, suggest researchers

Aug 5, 2026

Success can make people learn less from their own mistakes, study suggests

Aug 5, 2026

Shopify data suggests AI search is giving niche products a new route to customers

Aug 5, 2026

Customer data is moving deeper into pricing decisions

Aug 5, 2026

Texas pauses data-center grid connection approvals as power queue reaches 474 gigawatts

Aug 4, 2026