Johnson calls for tempers to cool after MPs slam his 'inflammatory' Brexit language

Former Tory Prime Minister John Major has accused Mr Johnson of “wilfully” destroying the prospects of cross-agreement on Brexit after the language row, and turning the Tory party into a “Brexit party tribute band”.

“Most Conservatives are not a Brexit Party tribute band, nor have we abandoned our core values to find compromise, seek allies, and strive for unity, rather than division and disarray,” he said in a speech for the Centre for European Reform.

“We abhor the language of division and hate – and words such as ‘saboteur’, ‘traitor’, ‘enemy’,‘surrender’, ‘betrayal’ have no place in our party, our politics, nor in our society.

“It is emphatically not who we are as a people. And must never be seen as so.”

The former conservative leader also described Mr Johnson’s tactics of whipping up “fear and anger” as “profoundly unconservative”.

Sir John added that Mr Johnson had only paid “lip service” to the Supreme Court ruling and warned he could the PM should bypass the law designed to prevent him forcing the UK out of the EU without a deal – otherwise known as the Benn Act.