[MisterMuncher]

Posted without comment.

This is actually the first time I've heard Francois speaking. I've been aware of him, naturally, but had managed not to see any footage of him speaking directly.

He really is a smug little tosser.

[Malcolm Armsteen]

The worst kind of Englishman. The sort of shit who'd tell you "I pay your wages".

[MisterMuncher]

Just so. The bully's mate grown taller, older but never up.

[Abernathy]

A few comments that Barnier is demeaning himself by writing this letter. Of course, Francois wasn't demeaning himself at all with his passive-aggressive note in the first place.

Don't see that Barnier was demeaning himself at all. He is clearly determined to play the remainder of the UK's flounce-out with a completely straight bat, and rightly so, though at this stage you'll allow him some mild sarcasm.

Francois these days now has a quasi-official position as Chair of a group of parliamentarians, albeit only the ridiculous ERG, so Barnier is rightly playing on that, paying (delicious, curled, contemptuous) lip service to that status, while also exposing the venal absurdity of Francois's position.

More power to his elbow, I say.

[Oblomov]

He's everything I hated about Essex and I couldn't wait to get away from (even if my route of extraction was impulsive and ill thought out).

[davidjay]

A few comments that Barnier is demeaning himself by writing this letter. Of course, Francois wasn't demeaning himself at all with his passive-aggressive note in the first place.

Don't see that Barnier was demeaning himself at all. He is clearly determined to play the remainder of the UK's flounce-out with a completely straight bat, and rightly so, though at this stage you'll allow him some mild sarcasm.

Francois these days now has a quasi-official position as Chair of a group of parliamentarians, albeit only the ridiculous ERG, so Barnier is rightly playing on that, paying (delicious, curled, contemptuous) lip service to that status, while also exposing the venal absurdity of Francois's position.

More power to his elbow, I say.

Four years down the line they're still saying they need us more than we need them and the way they keep pushing for a deal that suits them proves we're better off out.

[spoonman]

Francois is one of those very exceptional cases where you can say without guilt "He wasn't bullied enough at school".

[Oblomov]

Francois is one of those very exceptional cases where you can say without guilt "He wasn't bullied enough at school".

Saw someone elsewhere describe Francois as "a Fray Bentos pie that gained sentience."

[Malcolm Armsteen]

Sentience? Really?

[crabcakes_windermere]

Essex really do have some of the worst MPs. And indeed people in general.

I remember when I was at 6th form in Colchester in the early 90s, the then-unelected Bernard Jenkin came to talk to us along with the other candidates. He came over as a smug arse then as well, which is quite the achievement given he was taking over a safe seat that hadn't shifted since a brief Labour blip in 1945.

Still, at least we didn't have Carswell like the skanks down the road in Clacton.

[Abernathy]

Francois is one of those very exceptional cases where you can say without guilt "He wasn't bullied enough at school".

Him and another from the same mould, Andrew Bridgen, are both twats of whom it is strangely obvious that they have had the exact same haircut since the age of 5.

[Boiler]

Francois is one of those very exceptional cases where you can say without guilt "He wasn't bullied enough at school".

Saw someone elsewhere describe Francois as "a Fray Bentos pie that gained sentience."

You mean, looks okay when it comes out the oven but then you realise it's a horrid soggy wet mushy mess inside with a minimal amount of filling?

[Oblomov]

Essex really do have some of the worst MPs. And indeed people in general.

I remember when I was at 6th form in Colchester in the early 90s, the then-unelected Bernard Jenkin came to talk to us along with the other candidates. He came over as a smug arse then as well, which is quite the achievement given he was taking over a safe seat that hadn't shifted since a brief Labour blip in 1945.

Still, at least we didn't have Carswell like the skanks down the road in Clacton.

My friend had to change supermarket because Andrew Rosindell would keep turning up with his dog in a union flag waistcoat to air unsavoury opinions about the EUSSR and immigrants.

[davidjay]

Essex really do have some of the worst MPs. And indeed people in general.

I remember when I was at 6th form in Colchester in the early 90s, the then-unelected Bernard Jenkin came to talk to us along with the other candidates. He came over as a smug arse then as well, which is quite the achievement given he was taking over a safe seat that hadn't shifted since a brief Labour blip in 1945.

Still, at least we didn't have Carswell like the skanks down the road in Clacton.

My friend had to change supermarket because Andrew Rosindell would keep turning up with his dog in a union flag waistcoat to air unsavoury opinions about the EUSSR and immigrants.

I can honestly hand on heart say I don't know who would be wearing the waistcoat.

[Kreuzberger]

I haven't even seen a tinned pie in over fifteen years. Right now, I reckon I could demolish one in five minutes flat.