Mr Johnson will attempt to move on from the row on Sunday as he appears on BBC One’s Andrew Marr Show and ITV’s Peston on Sunday.

Writing in the The Sunday Telegraph about a recent trip to Afghanistan, Mr Johnson outlines his vision for a “global Britain” after leaving the EU.

He writes: “Some people have been driven to ask this question by our decision to leave the European Union. Some have even chosen to interpret that vote as evidence of Britain abandoning the spirit of former years and choosing to turn inwards.

“I emphatically reject this view. Rather than hauling up the drawbridge, Britain is a nation on its mettle, refusing to be defined by Brexit and galvanised by the new possibilities ahead.

"We are what we have been for centuries: a country that is politically, economically and morally fated to be outward-looking and engaged with the world. That is what I mean when I speak of Global Britain.”

Profile: Who are British Influence?

In the galaxy of pro-EU groups that has emerged in recent years, British Influence stands out as one of the most well-connected.

The think-tank, once called Centre for British Influence Through Europe, became an early contender as the vehicle for the Remain campaign before the referendum.