Boris Johnson breaks silence to lambast Rishi Sunak's Brexit deal: 'This is not taking back control!'

During his speech Johnson suggested that the EU is "graciously unbending" rules in order for the UK "to do what we want in our own country" as he raised concerns about the new Northern Ireland deal which he will find it “very difficult” to vote for.

“I’m conscious I’m not going to be thanked for saying this, but I think it is my job to do so: we must be clear about what is really going on here," he said.

“This is not about the UK taking back control, and although there are easements this is really a version of the solution that was being offered last year to Liz Truss when she was foreign secretary."

Many eurosceptic Conservatives have so far remained silent on their views about the deal, with Johnson's intervention seen as a key moment for whether Brexiteer backbenchers will give their endorsement.

Sunak's pact with Brussels helps reduce a number of frictions caused by the Northern Ireland Protocol agreed as part of the 2019 withdrawal agreement.

In his Westminster speech, the former prime minister added: "I’m going to find it very difficult to vote for something like this myself, because I believed we should’ve done something very different. No matter how much plaster came off the ceiling in Brussels.

“I hope that it will work and I also hope that if it doesn’t work we will have the guts to employ that (Northern Ireland Protocol) Bill again, because I have no doubt at all that that is what brought the EU to negotiate seriously.”

Unionists had argued the Protocol undermined Northern Ireland's place in the United Kingdom, with customs checks required on goods travelling from Great Britain to the province.

The new deal removes barriers on trade across the Irish Sea and hands a “veto” to politicians in Stormont on EU law, a set of concessions from Brussels that went further than many expected.

In return Sunak has scrapped plans to pass legislation first introduced by Johnson when he was Prime Minister that would give the UK the right to unilaterally override the existing Brexit deal.

The ex-Conservative leader disagrees with the plans to halt the legislation's progress through Parliament, but admitted that he made mistakes in signing his Northern Ireland Protocol which caused the DUP to walk out of powersharing because of trade barriers in the Irish Sea.

“I thought those checks would not be onerous since there isn’t that much stuff that falls into that category; most of the goods stay in Northern Ireland,” he said.

Muttering, Johnson added: “It’s all my fault, I fully accept responsibility.”

Yesterday, Downing Street said Sunak had spoken with Johnson about the Windsor Framework.

“The PM believes that it’s right that colleagues across the House have the time to reflect and go through the details of the agreement,” the Prime Minister’s press secretary said.

Although she would not be drawn on the specifics of Sunak’s talks with his predecessor Johnson, she said “they had a good discussion”.

Sunak has promised to give MPs a vote on his Windsor Framework once they have had time to properly digest the legal implications of his deal.

Labour and the SNP have already given their backing to the agreement meaning that the Prime Minister will win the Commons vote even if Brexiteer Conservatives rebel against his plan.

The European Research Group, which is made up of Eurosceptic Tory MPs, has said its so-called “star chamber” of lawyers is currently looking over the agreement to understand the full implications.

They have warned it may be two weeks before they are able to give their full views.

Sunak has said he believes “hand on heart” that the Windsor Framework addresses the concerns of Unionists and Brexiteers.