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Former Brexit Party MEP June Mummery warned Mr Barnier the fishing industry and coastal communities “don’t care what he thinks”. Fishing has been a major stumbling block in trade talks between Britain and Brussels.

But Ms Mummery urged Boris Johnson’s Europe adviser David Frost not to bow to pressure from the EU on fishing.

The ex-MEP told Express.co.uk: “Quite frankly we don’t care what Mr Barnier thinks.

“The fishing industry doesn’t care what he thinks and all the coastal communities that have had the heart ripped out of them don’t care what Mr Barnier thinks.

“At the end of the day we want to take back control and manage our waters in a sustainable way.

“That should make us world class leaders in fisheries management.

“We are so close and now David Frost has to just hang on.

“Obviously Mr Barnier’s feathers are ruffled and I understand how he feels because we’ve had 40 years of that feeling that rips you apart.

“Mr Barnier is a clever man, he understands what we are doing.

“He understands that we’ve had the North Sea plundered by electric pulse fishing and supertrawlers.

“Those days are over Mr Barnier I’m afraid.

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“We are not saying that we won’t ever do any deals with you but that will be on our terms, what goes on in our waters, it’s as simple as that.

“Of course he will fight for the EU that’s his job.

“But David Frost’s job is to do the right thing for our country and the people that voted Boris Johnson in.

“A lot of people voted on the back of fishing.”

Ms Mummery added that Mr Barnier is “becoming really weak”.

She said: “He is bending now. That’s the best he can do. He’s caving. Mr Barnier is definitely caving. He is becoming really weak, he’s losing it.”

Speaking after the latest round of trade talks wrapped up last week, the EU’s chief negotiator said the UK’s position on fisheries was “simply unacceptable”.

He added: “The UK is effectively seeking for near-total exclusion of fishing vessels from the UK’s water.”

But a UK Government source said, while Britain would have the “right to control the economic exploitation” of its fishing grounds after the transition period, talk of exclusion was incorrect.

Mr Barnier also warned a post-Brexit trade deal looked “unlikely” following the latest round of negotiations.

However his UK counterpart Mr Frost insisted an agreement was still possible but called for the EU to recognise it was in discussions with an “independent state”.

The UK is in a transition period with the EU until the end of the year after Brexit took place on January 31.

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