'Surprise' UK vote does not call Brexit into question, says French PM Philippe

Paris: French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe said on Friday that the British election result was a surprise but did not change the country's decision to leave the European Union.

"The British have spoken, they have voted, and have given the Conservative party a majority, albeit a simple majority, which is something of a surprise," Philippe told Europe 1 radio.

But he added "I don't think we should read these results as calling into question the stance on Brexit which was clearly expressed by the British people."

Philippe, who only took office in May, said the British election "had relatively little to do with Brexit and far more to do with domestic issues, for example linked to security" following the terror attacks in Manchester and London.

"I don't think we can read anything into this vote than a desire expressed by the British to choose the Conservative Party, but with less intensity than we thought beforehand," he said.