Former MEP Stanley Johnson, father to British prime minister Boris Johnson, has “apologised profusely” for his previous comments about the Irish shooting each other.

In October 2018 he told ITV’s Good Morning Britain that irrespective of the solution for the Border on the island of Ireland after Brexit “if the Irish people want to shoot each other, they will shoot each other”.

“I want to apologise profusely for saying that,” he told Newstalk Breakfast on Tuesday.

Both the Irish and UK governments had made it clear that they were not going to consider a hard Border and he hoped that would be the case.

When asked about the abuse his son is receiving, Mr Johnson said that it comes with the territory. “I shudder to think at the amount of abuse Boris gets.”

No-deal Brexit

He said that he thought his son is “doing the right thing. I can’t fault him.

“He is doing his very best to avoid a no-deal Brexit which would hurt the Irish economy and the European economy.

“Boris is moving the dial.”

Mr Johnson expressed amazement at members of the Conservative party who had indicated they would vote against the government.

“When the UK voted in June 2016, they voted to leave. That is a constitutional decision.”

He added that his son has agreed to make the time for debate. “The line he’s taking today is proper and is constitutional.”

He also said that he hopes his son goes for a holiday after the Brexit issue is sorted. “I think he is burning the candle at both ends, but I think he’s up for it.”