Watch: 'Shrinking violet' Sammy Wilson savages Robert Buckland in Commons over ‘devious, deceitful and dishonest’ threat of Dublin role in Northern Ireland's affairs

The East Antrim MP was reacting to comments made by Sir Robert, who chairs the NI Affairs Committee in Westminster.

Speaking on BBC News NI's The View programme, Sir Robert had ruled out any return to direct rule from London, saying governance in the Province would include the "involvement of the Irish government, ultimately" unless devolution was restored.

Mr Wilson said in the Commons: “Every devious, deceitful and dishonest tactic is being used to try to bribe, bully and beat Unionists into accepting the Windsor framework and the Northern Ireland protocol, despite the impact it has on our citizenship and on the Union.

"It seems that the latest recruit is the chairman of the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee, the right honourable and learned member for South Swindon, who only this week told the BBC that Unionists should get back to Stormont, because constitutional issues are the responsibility of the EU and the Irish Government, in any settlement, would have a say in the future of Northern Ireland.

"Can the Secretary of State confirm that this Conservative and Unionist Government have not handed constitutional control of Northern Ireland to the EU and that the Chairman of the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee has either become an over-zealous advocate of the scare tactics or is talking through his hat?”

NI Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris replied: “Mr Speaker, based on that cheer, the select committee chair has a lot of work to do to increase his popularity in this House.

"As ever, the right honourable gentleman asks a question in his characteristic shrinking violet way.

"I completely disagree with what he says about my right honourable and learned friend the member for South Swindon. We need to get a deal done now. The people of Northern Ireland want to get a deal done. It is time for a deal to be done.

"Let us get the Executive back up and running.”

The exchange took place on Wednesday this week.