TORY Brexiteer Jacob Rees-Mogg rallied behind Boris Johnson's dismissal of the Prime Minister's Chequers proposal during a live Question Time debate in Bishop Auckland.

Mr Rees-Mogg, who chairs the powerful Eurosceptic European Research Group, echoed the former foreign secretary's comments in the Daily Telegraph, saying negotiations had been "badly conducted".

The North East Somerset MP, appearing at Bishop Auckland Town Hall, likened the Chequers Brexit plan to Count Dracula, saying it "doesn't have much life in the sunlight".

He said: "I think the negotiations have been badly conducted, I think we have let the European Union make the running in negotiations, we agreed to their establishment of the terms of negotiations and the timetable of the negotiations.

"I think this has not been impressive and I think Chequers is not leaving the EU, it is remaining bound to an EU rule-book which is interpreted by the European Court of Justice and the EU's rejected it anyway.

"So Chequers may not not even be a dying duck, it may be slightly more Count Dracula in that it seems to get up at night and walk abroad, but it doesn't seem to have much life in the sunlight."

His comments came after Mr Johnson, in a scathing op-ed, described Mrs May's plans as "a moral and intellectual humiliation for this country".

Jon Trickett, Labour's shadow Cabinet Office minister, said Mr Johnson's column revealed the Tories only had "internal warfare" left.

He said: "As Boris Johnson says, there has been 'a collective failure of government'. But not just on Brexit, on housing, education, community safety, on our NHS, public services and utilities.

"It's clearer than ever that the Tories have run out of ideas. All they have left is internal warfare and continued austerity."

Lib Dem MP Layla Moran said Mr Johnson's comments were nothing more than a "half baked, sloppy rant".

She said: "The blue on blue in-fighting has already kicked off ahead of Tory conference. But while Johnson is being paid hundreds of thousands to belch out the first thing that comes to mind on page, there are businesses up and down the country wondering whether they'll still exist after Brexit.

"It's a disgrace that he can't take the most important decision facing this generation seriously."

Sir Richard Branson dismissed Mr Johnson's alternative vision for Britain leaving the EU, warning Brexit would be a "disaster" for the UK and Europe.

"I think it's becoming clearer and clearer just what a disaster it is and I just hope that ultimately it doesn't go through," he told Sky News.

"I listened to Boris Johnson and I also listened to the words he said about entrepreneurs and business people.

"I do personally think that entrepreneurs and business people know what this country needs more than Boris Johnson knows."

The billionaire Virgin boss also voiced support for a second referendum, saying he thinks it is "quite likely that sense will finally prevail".