Boris Johnson and Emmanuel Macron spent a weekend exchanging WhatsApp messages about quarantine-free travel between Britain and France - blindsiding officials on both sides of the Channel

Emmanuel Macron and Boris Johnson and spent a weekend exchanging private WhatsApp messages about allowing quarantine-free travel between Britain and France – blindsiding officials on both sides of the Channel, who had been kept out of the loop.

The Mail on Sunday has learnt the Prime Minister and French President regularly converse over the messaging service, away from the prying eyes of aides.

They were in touch throughout last weekend, which led to an unexpected announcement on Sunday evening that travellers from France would not be subject to the same 14-day quarantine as anyone else arriving in the UK.

The Mail on Sunday has learnt the Prime Minister and French President regularly converse over the messaging service, away from the prying eyes of aides

Just 20 minutes after Mr Johnson announced the draconian measure for all visitors in his televised address to the nation on Sunday, Downing Street said: ‘No quarantine measures would apply to travellers coming from France at this stage; any measures on either side would be taken in a concerted and reciprocal manner.’

However, by the end of the week, the Government had made an apparent U-turn over the exemption.

After the EU warned about singling out one member of the bloc, No 10 officials claimed the statement had been misinterpreted. 

They pointed out it merely said there was no quarantine ‘at this stage’ – which is true of travellers from all nations as the measures are not expected until the end of the month – and stressed ‘there is no exemption agreed with France’.

However, Ministers are scrambling to keep the vital cross-Channel trade route flowing.

A Government source admitted: ‘Boris and Macron overcooked it a bit with the WhatsApp diplomacy.’

Just 20 minutes after Mr Johnson announced the draconian measure for all visitors in his televised address to the nation on Sunday, Downing Street said: ‘No quarantine measures would apply to travellers coming from France at this stage; any measures on either side would be taken in a concerted and reciprocal manner