He said: "It's a sign of desperation, the EU would far rather they were negotiating with a weak leader like Jeremy Corbyn than a strong leader like Theresa May."

In 2011 David Cameron, the former Prime Minister, was accused of sexism after he told a female Labour MP to "calm down dear" in the Commons.

It came as the European Union threatened to force clearing houses - one of the most lucrative financial sectors of the City - to relocate from London to Europe. Philip Hammond, the Chancellor, warned that the move risked undermining growth, investment and the financial stability of both Europe and the City.

Mr Hammond said: “We approach the Brexit negotiations with a spirit of goodwill and we will consider any EU proposal before we leave on its merits. "But we should be careful of any proposals which might disrupt growth, raise the cost of investment in Europe and the UK or weaken financial stability."

His intervention came after the European Commission's chief spokesman accused Mrs May of "excited" electioneering. Magaritas Schinas also suggested that the commission is too "busy" to concern itself with Mrs May's comments.

He said: "We are not naive, we know that there is an election taking place in the United Kingdom. People get excited whenever we have elections.