Tory leadership contenders clash over whether Emmanuel Macron is friend or foe

Liz Truss said last night the “jury’s out” on whether President Macron was a friend or foe and that she would judge him by his “deeds not words”.

The foreign secretary and frontrunner to be the Tory leader adopted a frosty tone about the French president during hustings hosted by TalkTV.

Rishi Sunak, the former chancellor and Truss’s rival for the party leadership, described Macron as a friend during a quick-fire round of questions.

Britain’s relationship with France will play a significant role in attempts to resolve the Northern Ireland protocol dispute and the cross-Channel migration problem.

Boris Johnson endured a difficult relationship with Macron throughout his premiership and clashed with him repeatedly. Truss said later, however, that she would prefer France to run