EU takes Britain to court

The European Commission has launched “infringement proceedings” against the UK for not nominating a new British EU commissioner.

In a statement, the Commission said that it considered that the UK was “in breach of its EU treaty obligations”.

Mr Johnson has said he will not appoint a new commissioner, but the UK Government’s response said it could not due to restrictions on announcements during the election.

It came after outgoing European Council president Donald Tusk appeared to back Mr Johnson’s opponents by telling campaigners not to give up fighting Brexit.

In his final speech, Mr Tusk claimed the UK would become “an outsider, a second-rate player” and suggested Brexit was “the real end of the British Empire”.