Former Conservative Party leader and Brexit supporter Iain Duncan Smith delivered a scathing attack on Remainers during a radio interview with Julia Hartley-Brewer. The Tory MP for Chingford and Woodford Green, lashed out at former Conservative Chancellor Philip Hammond, for not sufficiently preparing for a no deal Brexit. His rebuke comes as Boris Johnson has stuck by his hardline pledge that Britain will be leaving the EU by the end of October this year, with or without a deal.

Speaking on talkRADIO, IDS said: “The truth is, I think that it’s right and proper for the Government to prepare absolutely for no deal.

“What has been the biggest indictment of all, is the extent to which we now discover the previous Chancellor Mr Hammond, and others, absolutely and deliberately failed to deliver the unpreparedness for Brexit.

“Now, this is terrible. This is one of the reasons why we were so supine and weak in the negotiations, I use the word negotiation advisedly, because it was more a case of ‘on bended knee’…I don’t call that a negotiation”.

He added: “For those who want to stop it, the simple answer is, the clock is already ticking. It is law that we leave on October 31 – you have to change the law.

I honestly believe it is time for these idiots to stop messing around

Iain Duncan Smith

“It is two laws by the way, it is our law, and it is also European law, for us to extend that, A, the Government has to ask for an extension, B, they have to be granted, C, they have to accept what they have been granted.

“All of that would have to be a result of a change in the law.

“I honestly believe it is time for these idiots to stop messing around.”

The Prime Minister has demanded the EU drop the backstop mechanism in the withdrawal agreement to allow Brexit talks to commence – but the EU has stood firm.

Last week, Irish Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said the invite to Mr Johnson to join him in Dublin for talks on Brexit and other issues had “no preconditions”.

But, a spokesman for the Taoiseach said on Sunday: “The Taoiseach has invited the British Prime Minister to Dublin for talks on Northern Ireland and Brexit. Their offices are in contact to agree a date for these talks in the coming weeks.

“Such a meeting would give both sides an opportunity to gain a better understanding of their respective positions. As has repeatedly been made clear, the Withdrawal Agreement and the backstop are not up for negotiation. Any discussions on changes to the Political Declaration would occur between the UK and the EU.”

Mr Johnson has insisted a Brexit deal is only possible if the backstop is scrapped, and is expected to head to Dublin for talks early next month.

Appearing on BBC’s Today programme on Monday, shadow home secretary Diane Abbott was asked if Labour is planning to move a vote of no-confidence against Mr Johnson’s Government in the first week of Parliament’s return.

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She said: “It’s above my pay grade to say when we’ll move the vote of no- confidence. But, who has confidence in Boris Johnson apart from the people around him?

“The more he announces these bogus unfunded announcements, I think the less confidence there will be in him in the general public.”

Pro-EU Tory MPs have hinted they could vote against their own party in a no-confidence vote to try to prevent a no deal Brexit.

But, the Prime Minister’s special adviser, Dominic Cummings, last week suggested even if Mr Johnson lost a no-confidence vote, a potential general election could fall after the UK has already officially left the EU.

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