Brexit: Nigel Farage pleads with Eurosceptics to reject Boris Johnson's 'reheated' deal

Brexit Party leader says his party will 'stand against' Tories who back 'appalling' deal

Nigel Farage has appealed to MPs to vote down Boris Johnson's deal in a historic Saturday sitting or risk passing an agreement that was "not Brexit".

The Brexit Party leader dismissed Mr Johnson's plan as a "reheated" version of Theresa May's blueprint and warned Eurosceptic Tories that his party would "stand against" MPs who back it.

In a double-page advert in the Brexit-backing Daily Telegraph, Mr Farage also fired off a warning to the prime minister, saying: "Sorry Boris. Your deal is not great, it's not new - and it's not Brexit."

It comes as MPs prepare for a day of high drama in Westminster, where the prime minister will try to avoid being forced to delay Brexit by winning a knife-edge Commons vote on his Brexit blueprint.

Mr Farage withdrew his offer of an electoral pact with Brexiteer Tories, and urged them not to "crack" by offering their support for the "appalling" plan.

He said: "Prime minister Boris Johnson claims that he has agreed a 'great new deal' on Brexit with the EU. Sorry Boris. Your deal is not great, it's not new - and it's not Brexit.

"Mr Johnson's plan is to reheat most of Theresa May's appalling withdrawal agreement. Mrs May's deal would imprison Britain under EU rules with no voice, no vote, no veto - and no way out.

"It is the sort of treaty you sign after losing a war."

Mr Farage added: "We need a general election to clear out the Remain parliament and win a majority for a real Brexit. When that election comes, we are ready to stand against MPs who vote for a bad deal today."

However the hardline Brexiteers have been advised to vote for the prime minister's deal, according to leading Eurosceptic Steve Baker.

Mr Baker, who acts as an enforcer for the European Research Group of Tory Brexiteers, said the guidance to MPs was to "vote for Boris' deal in the national interest".

After an ERG meeting on Saturday, fellow Brexiteer Mark Francois added: "Today is D minus 12. If the House of Commons votes for this today, within a fortnight we'll be living in a free country."

The DUP's Sammy Wilson attended the meeting, to make an eleventh hour plea to Brexiteers to oppose the plan.

He said: "I know that the people in the ERG are good friends of Northern Ireland. They're not anti-unionist by any means.

"A lot of them are struggling with their consciences."

On the first Saturday sitting in nearly 40 years, Mr Johnson urged MPs to back his Brexit deal to heal the rift that the referendum result has caused in British politics.

He told MPs: "The House will need no reminding that this is the second deal and the fourth vote, three-and-a-half years after the nation voted for Brexit.

"And during those years friendships have been strained, families divided and the attention of this House consumed by a single issue that has at times felt incapable of resolution.

"But I hope that this is the moment when we can finally achieve that resolution and reconcile the instincts that compete within us."

But he faces an uphill battle to get agreement on his deal from a hostile parliament - and he must also overcome a rebel amendment by Sir Oliver Letwin, that would withhold Commons approval until legislation to implement the deal is in place.