Boris Johnson has taken a cavalier approach to Brexit diplomacy during a crunch meeting with Emmanuel Macron.
The UK prime minister met the French president on Thursday as part of his tour of European capitals to forge a fresh Brexit deal.
A day after the PM was given a “blistering” 30-day timetable by German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Johnson went to Paris to thrash things out with Macron, who remains a tougher nut to crack.
As the pair posed for the cameras, Johnson was captured looking supremely relaxed:
With one foot on the table and legs akimbo the Prime Minister appeared to be sporting the classic manspread.
However, footage of the incident later suggested the brief gesture was a shared joke, with the prime minister appearing to pose for the cameras as the pair laughed.
Nonetheless, social media reacted in a manner that recalled the countless times they’ve been scolded for a similar act at home.
As ever, it was reminiscent of a scene from The Thick Of It
And was there no respect for history?
Video of the moment the foot went on table shows Macron suggesting the table would make a decent footstool, and the PM was happy to oblige
And there were other slightly odd moments shared between the two.
But it all seems to have done little harm: the Elysee later called Thursday’s encounter “complete” and “constructive.”