Boris Johnson’s chief aide has claimed that getting a Brexit deal done is a “walk in the park” compared to the 2016 referendum and that they were “enjoying this”.
Dominic Cummings, senior adviser to Prime Minister Boris Johnson, also said it is “not surprising” that some voters are angry after the PM was criticised for stoking fury over Brexit.
His comments, at a book launch on Thursday, came as the PM refused to bow to mounting pressure to apologise over his use of language.
Amid furious scenes in the Commons, Johnson repeatedly described attempts to block no-deal as the “surrender act” and dismissed a Labour MP’s complaint that his “inflammatory” language risked provoking attacks as “humbug”.
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn warned that the PM’s language was encouraging people to behave in a “disgraceful and abusive way”.
Cummings was speaking at an event marking the launch of a new book by Vote Leave supporter and businessman Stuart Wheeler, who said he felt as though Cummings and Boris Johnson were under “enormous pressure” to get a Brexit deal.
The PM has suffered multiple Commons defeats and the Supreme Court ruling that his prorogation was unlawful.
But Cummings replied: “We are not under pressure, the referendum was pressure. The referendum was difficult. This is a walk in the park compared to the referendum.
“We are enjoying this, we are going to leave and we are going to win.”
Cummings added that the only way the issue of threats and abuse will be solved is if MPs “respect” the result of the EU referendum.
When Cummings was asked if he blamed MPs for the abuse, he replied: “The MPs said we will have a referendum, we will respect the result and then they spent three years swerving all over the shop.
“It is not surprising some people are angry about it. I find it very odd that these characters are complaining that people are unhappy about their behaviour now and they also say they want a referendum.”
He added: “If you are a bunch of politicians and say that we swear we are going to respect the result of a democratic vote, and then after you lose you say, we don’t want to respect that vote, what do you expect to happen?”
Cummings was also asked if MPs have themselves to blame for the abuse.
“That’s the way you’re putting it. I am using my language,” he replied.
He said that both Leave and Remain campaigners have had “serious threats” of violence, which he said should be taken seriously.
“In the end the situation can only be resolved by Parliament honouring its promise to respect the result,” he added.
Johnson had further angered the opposition by suggesting that the best way to honour murdered Remain-supporting MP Jo Cox was to “get Brexit done”.
On Thursday, Liberal Democrat leader Jo Swinson had to leave cross-party talks early so she could speak to police about a threat made to one of her children.
And Labour MP Jess Phillips disclosed that a man had been arrested while trying to smash the windows and kick the door of her Birmingham Yardley constituency office while yelling “fascist”.