Former Conservative MP and Brexit Party MEP Ann Widdecombe suggested that the EU's attempt to punish Britain had backfired badly. Speaking to GB News' Free Speech Nation, Ms Widdecombe mocked French President Emmanuel Macron and European Commission Chief Ursula von der Leyen. She said that their attempts to threaten and bully the UK had turned Remainers into Brexiteers.

       She was asked whether the British people would "still vote to leave if they had to vote again".

       Ms Widdecombe was adamant: "Oh yes. When you look at it now, yes.

       "First, von der Leyen tries to close the Irish border without even talking to the Irish leader, never mind us.

       "Then you have Macron threatening to turn the lights off in the Channel Islands."

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       She continued: "The more you look at their behaviour, the worse it looks.

       "I have had Remainer friends say to me that if they had to vote again, that because of this behaviour, they would vote to leave."

       She said that that the response from the EU was not "out of spite," adding: "I think what they are determined to do is make it so difficult for us that nobody else wants to leave.

       "Barnier said that himself, that Britain would be punished for leaving.

       "I don't think it is spite. It is an attempt to keep the EU together.

       "They have to make it very difficult for countries to leave."

       Ms Widdecombe referenced the disagreements between Jersey and French governments earlier this year over fishing.

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       At the time, the French maritime minister said France could use "retaliatory measures" against Jersey and highlighted that France provides the island with electricity via underwater cables.

       There were fears France could cut the power to Jersey over the licence dispute which could cause a huge political fallout.

       Earlier this week, Lord David Frost confirmed for the first time that the UK believed the conditions for triggering Article 16 of the Northern Ireland Protocol had now been met.

       He said that the Protocol in its current form is no longer sustainable, and urged the EU to renegotiate.

       However, this was swiftly slapped down by the EU.

       European Commission Vice President Maro？ ？ef？ovi？ told the UK that "respecting international legal obligations is of paramount importance".