British Prime Minister Boris Johnson's father has declared he will "always be a European" on the eve of Brexit, as he confirmed he had applied for a French passport.
Stanley Johnson said his familial ties to the Gallic nation led him to seek citizenship on the day the transition period came to an end.
He said: "If I understand it correctly, I am French. My mother was born in France, her mother was totally French as was her grandfather. So for me it is about reclaiming what I already have. And that makes me very happy."
The environmental campaigner told French radio station RTL on Thursday: "You can't tell the English 'you're not European'. Europe is more than the single market, it's more than the European Union.
![PM Boris Johnson and his siblings spent part of their childhood in Brussels as their father worked for the European Commission. Photo / AP](https://www.nzherald.co.nz/resizer/v2/QDTLPQCQBHOX5QJG5BCF4WSH4Y.jpg?auth=7321a8d8a727a0e434795319c1a9ea5a6041418a57fa9df46bafb113a1703834&width=16&height=11&quality=70&smart=true)