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Some pledges made by Brexit supporters in the run-up to the EU referendum were “mildly irresponsible”, Nigel Farage has said.

Those who spearheaded the leave campaign have been heavily scrutinised after a number of pledges appear to have been backtracked on.

Pledges made included a promise on a ‘Vote Leave’ poster to spend £350 million of EU funding-a-week on the NHS and plans to create a points-based immigration system.

The former Ukip leader told Bloomberg that some pledges were “mildly irresponsible”.

He added: “There were lots of promises – lots of ideas get discussed at any election”.

Mr Farage then launched a scathing attack on the EU, saying a “declaration of war” had been issued on any sensible Brexit negotiations.

He said: "In terms of Brexit, you're probably right to be slightly critical of the British government, who ought to get on with it.

"But the EU is getting on with it and you've already appointed your divorce lawyers. On behalf of the European Parliament, we've got Guy Verhofstadt. He's the man who is going to be negotiating Brexit.

"If you were to think of this building [the EU Parliament] as a temple, well, Mr Verhofstadt is the high priest. A fanatic.

“In fact, there is only really one nationalist in this room and it's you [Verhofstadt] because you want flags, anthems, armies... you are an EU nationalist.

"I frankly think that this appointment amounts to pretty much a declaration of war on any sensible negotiation process.”

Mr Farage’s outburst came on the same day European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker gave his annual speech to the European Parliament.

He said: "We should admit we have many unresolved problems.

"The facts are plain: The world is getting bigger. And we are getting smaller."

Mr Junker used his speech to call for a joint command headquarters for EU military missions and greater defence cooperation, reviving long-running efforts to reduce reliance on the United States.

He said no single EU government had a military large enough to deal with security challenges facing Europe, from Islamic militants to a more hostile Russia and echo a plan put forward this week by France and Germany, the Independent reported.