Ex-World Trade Organisation boss Pascal Lamy sparks outrage after launching scathing attack on Boris Johnson

THE arrogant ex-French boss of the World Trade Organisation sparked outrage yesterday after branding Boris Johnson childish.

In a multi-pronged attack on Brexit Pascal Lamy also warned Britain’s EU divorce would be “costly and complex” - and even hinted Theresa May was dull.

In a blistering attack on the Foreign Secretary, he recalled how he knew him as a child when he was a “nasty young kid,’ adding: “He never changed.”

Mr Lamy, who also served as an EU Trade Commissioner, said Mr Johnson’s “eccentricity” and tendency to provocate was “balanced” with Theresa May “on the other side”.

And he also hit out at Brexit Secretary David Davis for being unprepared for negotiations.

Mr Lamy’s remarks drew a withering response from allies of Mr Johnson.

A close friend told The Sun: “It’s a shame that Lamy can’t talk about substance and the positive things that the Government wants to achieve from Brexit like Boris and the Government are doing.

“I am afraid his personal attack just shows he can’t accept Britain has a strong voice and used it last June.”

Senior Tory MP Jacob Rees-Mogg responded to Mr Lamy’s attack in verse.

He said: “A bureaucrat called Pascal Lamy is generally considered smarmy.

“He disparages the great Boris, who is clever and quotes Horace, which makes Pascal jealous and barmy.”

And senior Conservative MP Nigel Evans stormed: “Pascal lamy is an irrelevant has been.

“He is exactly the sort of arrogant sneering elite which resulted in the British people voting leave.

“Boris tapped into the public disaffection against the remote and undemocratic EU juggernaut.

“Lamy’s views are an echo of the faceless EU bureaucratic drive to a United States of Europe which we have just rejected.”

Mr Lamy predicted it will take five to six years to agree a new trading deal with Europe, saying there was “no way” a new agreement could be hammered out within the two years set aside for divorce talks.

In a speech on Brexit in London yesterday, Mr Lamy said: “Many of us, including me, believe that there is no way of removing the egg from the omelette can be done in two years.”

He also dismissed suggestions Britain could avoid paying a multi-billion EU bill, saying there was only “room for compromise” between £35billion - £50billion.

Mr Lamy also risked infuriating ministers by saying an independent Scotland would have no problem joining the EU after Brexit.

He said “the only serious problem” would be the opposition of Spain, which wants to avoid encouraging Catalan voters to become independent.

He said: “Assume Scotland becomes independent and wants to join - if we have something of an overlap - zero technical problems.

“Maybe the number of votes which Scotland has in the European Council, the number of Scottish members of Parliament would have to be debated. Not a problem.

“The only problem I see from the EU 27 is sensitivity in some member states like Spain for instance.”