Politics

"The problem for the government is that you cannot simply pull up the drawbridge. Controlling the country's borders requires international agreement and co-operation."

"Mike Hunt will be sure to send his regards," one person said.

Senior Tory MPs are urging the PM to ditch the plans or risk being forced into a U-turn without their support in a vote due in the Commons.

Last night a senior Government source said they are both a 'pain in the a***'.

"I think I’m not the only one who would have wanted to use language of that nature to him," Christian Wakeford said.

"Especially the type as the UK has proposed it, negotiated it, and signed the agreement up on it with us.”

On Wednesday he told MPs he had “mistakenly” not worn a mask – but that he was without a face covering for “barely 30 seconds”.

A report found that the bridge would need some of the largest support towers ever constructed and would run across an offshore ammunition dump.

"That the last MP managed to get paid £300,000 a year to lobby for companies is an absolute disgrace. I could have got loads more!"