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John Whittingdale hit out at Theresa May after she claimed she would not invoke Article 50 and begin the formal process of leaving the EU until next year at the earliest, claiming that anti-brexit campaigners and politicians could soften the negotiation process – or make Britain back out of leaving the union altogether.

He said: “The Prime Minister has been admirably clear in saying that Britain has voted to leave so we are going to leave but until you embark on the formal process there will be some who will continue to suggest that somehow this can be fudged, that we can make some changes but still essentially remain a part of it and will attempt to find a way out.”

Mr Whittingdale, who was removed from the cabinet during Ms May’s brutal cabinet reshuffle after she took office, has said leaving the Union must happen much sooner than the Tory leader’s suggested timeline.