Theresa May appoints anti-Brexit Alan Duncan as Foreign Office deputy ‘to keep an eye on Boris Johnson’
Senior Tory mocked Johnson by branding him 'Borisconi' during the Conservative leadership contest last month
A SENIOR Tory who compared Boris Johnson to playboy Italian PM Silvio Berlusconi was yesterday appointed BoJo’s deputy in the Foreign Office.
Sir Alan Duncan mocked Mr Johnson by branding him “Borisconi” during the Conservative leadership contest last month.
But Sir Alan is a key ally of new PM Theresa May – suggesting he has been given the job to keep an eye on Foreign Secretary Boris.
The appointment came as Mrs May continued building her ministerial team by appointing a vocal anti-Brexit MP to the new department for getting Britain out of the EU.
In May Worcester MP Robin Walker said Brexit was “a hit we can ill afford” and said: “We are better off staying in and pressing for change.”
He will be number three at the department behind Brexit Secretary David Davis and arch-Eurosceptic former Cabinet Minister David Jones, who was also appointed yesterday.
It is the latest sign of Mrs May’s commitment to balancing departments between Leave and Remain campaigners.
Meanwhile Mr Johnson continued his hectic start as Foreign Secretary by travelling to Brussels last night to meet EU foreign affairs chief Federica Mogherini.
He will spend today at his first meeting of European foreign ministers in the Belgian capital.
It comes after a busy weekend spent dealing with the Nice truck attack and failed coup in Turkey.
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BoJo also marked the second anniversary of Malaysian Airlines flight MH17 being shot out of the sky over Ukraine by remembering the 298 people who lost their lives.
The Foreign Secretary said: “Justice must now be delivered.”