Former EU negotiator during Brexit talks, Michel Barnier, has once again waded in on the Brexit row as he hit out at UK representatives today. The Frenchman has just published his diary written during the gruelling 1600-day diplomatic tussle between the Bloc and the UK, and is giving his view on how the talks went. He said he liked working with former Prime Minister Theresa May’s team rather than Boris Johnson’s people, and added that he would rather not comment on the current UK leaders.

Mr Barnier said: “I prefer to say that I still have a lot of respect for Olly Robbins who was Mrs May’s European adviser. I have a lot of esteem for Theresa May who was courageous, tenacious. I prefer to stop at that concerning the portraits I draw.”

The veiled swipe may have been used to avoid increasing tensions, but Mr Barnier has previously been very critical of the UK government and even the British system.

While Mr Barnier has voiced respect for some, he certainly isn’t a fan of Dominic Raab.

In his book ‘The Grand Illusion: A Secret Diary of Brexit’, the former EU man mocked Mr Raab’s admission that he was surprised to find out the UK was “particularly dependent upon the Dover-Calais crossing.”

He added: “I don’t even want to smile but there is definitely something that is deranged in the British system.”

In the book, Mr Barnier also explains his affection for Ireland.

He added: “I promised myself in this negotiation to never indulge in arguments and attacks coming from British tabloids, to pay attention to the words I use, to stick to facts, to figures, to legal basis.

“But here in Ireland … it is difficult not to be touched by the sensitivity and emotion of those who express themselves.”

READ MORE: Brexit boom as New Zealand looks to embrace UK, and not US, for trade

In February, Mr Barnier launched a group called Patriot and European to gather like-minded lawmakers, adding: “I have a number of ideas and proposals to make, on all issues.”

In his book, Mr Barnier admitted that he voted for President Macron in the 2017 election.

He said: “Even though he does not belong to the Gaullist party, for which I committed myself at the age of 14, I cast a vote, in this second round of the presidential election, to Emmanuel Macron.

Mr Barnier hinted that he preferred Mr Macron’s “positive and pro-European vision” to the “populist discourse” of rival Marine Le Pen.