Alec Shelbrooke, a Tory MP, compared Conservative colleagues who may be considering voting against Rishi Sunak's new Brexit deal to "Japanese soldiers" who do not believe "the war is over". 

He told Talk TV: "The public want this over and done with, Parliament wants this over and done with. I think there is a few Japanese soldiers not believing the war is over but I think they are very, very few now." 

The European Research Group of Tory Brexiteers is yet to deliver its final verdict on the PM's Windsor Framework which is designed to resolve problems with post-Brexit border arrangements in Northern Ireland. 

Downing Street is now "confident" a maximum of only 20 Tory MPs could rebel against Rishi Sunak's Brexit deal when it is put to a crunch vote in the House of Commons next week, it has been claimed. 

No10 has decided to hold the vote on the Windsor Framework on Wednesday because it has concluded a major rebellion will not materialise, according to TalkTV. 

Asked if the 20 figure sounded correct, Tory MP Alec Shelbrooke told the broadcaster: "I think they are roughly about right. I think there is a hardcore which won’t accept any compromise at all but then there is no way out of the fact you want to honour the Good Friday Agreement. 

"I think the Prime Minister has done an outstanding job with this agreement. I think it was something a lot of people didn’t think we would get there."