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Boris Johnson said Britain should be prepared for a Brexit “meltdown” but press ahead anyway in leaked comments from a private dinner.

The Foreign Secretary branded Chancellor Philip Hammond’s Treasury the “heart of remain” and warned of a “very, very difficult” battle at the heart of government.

During an address to campaign group Conservative Way Forward, he dismissed concerns over the Irish border after Brexit and called for “guts” in negotiations with the EU.

He also claimed he “increasingly admires” Donald Trump, and said the US President would likely “go in bloody hard” if her were negotiating Brexit. Mr Johnson added that he is convinced “there is method in his madness”.

In a recording leaked to BuzzFeed News, the Brexiteer said: “You've got to face the fact there may now be a meltdown. OK? I don't want anybody to panic during the meltdown. No panic. Pro bono publico, no bloody panic.

“It's going to be all right in the end.”

He said exit talks were approaching a "moment of truth", adding that he believed Brexit will happen and would be "irreversible" but the "risk is that it will not be the one we want".

Mr Johnson was speaking to around 20 people dining in a private room after a reception at the Institute of Directors.

Concerns over the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic are "pure millennium bug stuff," he said.

"All the planes crashing from the sky. It's absolute nonsense."

He said fears about the border were out of proportion.

"It's so small and there are so few firms that actually use that border regularly, it's just beyond belief that we're allowing the tail to wag the dog in this way," he added.

"We're allowing the whole of our agenda to be dictated by this folly."

Labour's Ian Murray, a supporter of the People's Vote campaign for a second referendum, said: "Boris Johnson is utterly shameless.

"As these comments show, he knows we're going to get shafted with a bad Brexit deal, he knows how much damage it will cause to our economy, he knows it will result in a hard border re-emerging in Northern Ireland, but he couldn't care less.

"That this disgraceful charlatan holds one of the great offices of state in this country should be a source of constant shame and embarrassment to the Prime Minister. Boris Johnson cares about nothing except himself and his own ambition.

"He is right about one thing: we are heading for 'a meltdown' over Brexit. But his solution is simply to embrace the chaos."