Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has said it is "a terrible political miscalculation" for some people in London to think that because the House of Commons failed to ratify the Withdrawal Agreement that they can now get a better Brexit deal.

Speaking during Taoiseach's Questions in the Dáil this afternoon, Mr Varadkar said: "I think like everyone in this house I am a little bit concerned about political developments in London at present.

"Teresa May was not a bad negotiator. She had a good team and I believe they got the best deal they could have got, given the limited leverage that a country leaving the European Union has.

"It took two years to negotiate the Withdrawal Agreement. It is not perfect. It is a finely balanced compromise. Everyone had to give and take. Sadly the House of Commons failed to ratify that agreement."

Then, in a broadside at some Conservatives, he said: "I am a little bit concerned that some people in London seem to think that because the House of Commons failed to ratify that the agreement that automatically means they are going to get a better one.

"That is a terrible political miscalculation. I hope that is not the one that is being made across the water. They made some miscalculations along the way."

He was speaking after a number of candidates to succeed Theresa May as British Prime Minister said they hoped to renegotiate the Withdrawal Agreement.

A number have also said they would be prepared to take the UK out of the EU without a deal if no new agreement had been reached by 31 October.

BREAKING: Taoiseach @LeoVaradkar says it is "a terrible political miscalculation" for some in London to think that as House of Commons failed to ratify the Withdrawal Agreement they can now get a better #Brexit deal. He is "concerned" about political developments in London pic.twitter.com/cIXkMhuY1s — Conor McMorrow (@ConorMcMorrow) June 11, 2019

Mr Varadkar was critical of the way the British government has approached the Brexit negotiations to date.

He said: "Initially they thought that after the UK decided to leave that Ireland would somehow fall into line. That we might leave to. We didn't and we are not.

"Some thought that when push came to shove that Ireland would be abandoned. That EU unity would break. And they were wrong about that.

"We really hope that they are not making a further miscalculation which is to think that the House of Commons, having failed to ratify the deal would somehow get a better deal. That really misunderstands how the European Union works."