JACOB Rees-Mogg has issued an appeal to Brexiteers to trust Boris Johnson as negotiations on a deal with Brussels enter a critical stage.
The Leader of the Commons, who was a thorn in the side of Theresa May over Brexit before joining Mr Johnson's administration, warned compromise was inevitable for any agreement.
He hinted he may even have to "eat my words" and support a plan close to one put forward by Mrs May which he described as "completely cretinous".
But Mr Rees-Mogg, who previously led the pro-Brexit European Research Group, insisted Leave supporters could have confidence Mr Johnson would not give too much ground to Brussels to get a deal.
"I think that he is somebody who even the arch Eurosceptics, even a member of the Brexit Party, can trust and have confidence in," he told Sky News.
His comments will be seen as a sign of nervousness that hardline Tory Brexiteers could scupper any agreement Mr Johnson secures, just as they thwarted his predecessor.
In a conference call with cabinet ministers about the negotiations, Mr Johnson said that while he could see a "pathway" to a deal there was still a "significant amount of work".
Read More: Loyalists plan action if Boris Johnson 'shafts' Northern Ireland
In Brussels, the EU's chief negotiator Michel Barnier described the talks as "constructive" but told ambassadors of the remaining EU27 that "a lot of work remains to be done".
Reports from Brussels suggested the British prime minister had sought to revive a proposal by Mrs May for Northern Ireland to remain politically in a customs union with the EU, but it would be administered by the UK. The plan would avoid the need for customs controls on the island of Ireland.
Mr Rees-Mogg refused to be drawn on the detail of what was being discussed.
But pressed on whether it could be close to Mrs May's plan, he said: "We'll have to find out in a day or two whether I'll have to eat my words or not – time will tell."
He added: "There's a line from Churchill saying that he often had to eat his words and he found it to be a very nourishing diet – and that is something that happens in politics."
Meanwhile, Home Secretary Priti Patel said security measures were being stepped up in preparedness for a possible no-deal, but denied they were driven by fears of an upsurge in dissident republican violence.
"Specifically to Northern Ireland, we are conscious and we are working with all organisations, agencies, to ensure that we remain safe," she told the BBC.
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said the party would decide how to respond once they had seen any deal Mr Johnson was able to bring back from Brussels.
However, he urged "caution" on any MPs considering backing an agreement if it were put to a confirmatory referendum.
