Bettel

A small but noisy crowd of anti-Brexit protesters booed and shouted “shame on Boris!” as Johnson arrived after lunch for a meeting with Bettel.

Boris Johnson and EU chief Jean-Claude Juncker, before the no-show press conference with Luxembourg Prime Minister Xavier Bettel.

But after the meetings a joint statement between Mr Johnson and counterpart Xavier Bettel was cancelled, amid the noise of pro-EU demonstrators.

Gesturing to the empty space where Mr Johnson should have been, Mr Bettel said: 'It's his responsibility.

Luxembourg Prime Minister Xavier Bettel said: “I still regret the outcome of the referendum but I respect it.

Meanwhile, Mr Bettel's "empty chairing" of Mr Johnson appeared to cause unease in Brussels and Berlin on Tuesday.

Sir Nicholas Soames, one of 21 MPs to have the Conservative whip removed by Mr Johnson for rebelling over Brexit, accused Mr Bettel of "unhelpful grandstanding".

The Brexit party leader said “pipsqueak” PM Xavier Bettel’s “ritual humiliation” of Mr Johnson demonstrated the EU’s bad faith.

The intervention, in a speech at the Carlton Club, comes amid mounting criticism of the behaviour of Mr Bettel.

Xavier Bettel said the British government had failed to put forward any serious proposals for a new deal.

Xavier Bettel tore into Mr Johnson and the 'nightmare' of Brexit after refusing to rearrange the press conference and brazenly going ahead with Mr Johnson's podium empty.