Writing in the Telegraph, Mr Timothy accused Mr Varadkar of “jeopardising the peace process” and not “understanding the Good Friday Agreement”. The ex-Downing Street figure also believed the leader “continues to defend his Brexit policy with a brave face but he must surely feel his stomach churning as he contemplates the consequences of his gamble”. A no deal Brexit could become a reality by October 31 unless the EU loosens its stance on negotiations.

Mr Timothy believes that outcome would be “catastrophic for Ireland” but said Mr Varadkar should have changed his tact during the discussions following the referendum in 2016.

He said: “Varadkar therefore had a choice. Recognising our shared interests, he could have argued for a future UK/EU relationship that allowed Britain to leave the single market and customs union while still minimising friction in cross-border trade.

“He could have continued the work begun by his predecessor, Enda Kenny, to use policy and technology to avoid customs checks along the Northern Irish border.

“Instead, he gambled, and exhorted the EU to take the hardest line possible.

“Before the UK and EU could negotiate their future relationship, he insisted, the border question must be decided. Never mind that this was nonsensical and everybody knew the border could only be fixed in a future trade agreement.”

Mr Timothy added: “The backstop is supposed to stop a hard border, but by making the Withdrawal Agreement unratifiable, it is making no-deal and a hard border more likely.

“There can only be one solution: the backstop must go.”

His comments come after it was revealed that new Prime Minister Boris Johnson had not yet contacted Mr Varadkar since rising to the top job.

The snub had led some to fear tensions between the UK and Ireland could be on the increase.

Mr Johnson has so far made numerous calls to influential figures across the UK, including the DUP’s Arlene Foster, Sinn Fein head Michelle O’Neill and Scottish leader Nicola Sturgeon.

He had told Parliament last week that the Irish border backstop had to be abolished or there would be no Brexit deal.

Some suggest it could affect peace and community relations between Northern Ireland and Ireland.

The Irish government has even said Brexit is a threat to the Good Friday peace agreement, which helped to bring decades of violence in Northern Ireland to an end.

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