David Cameron backs Boris Johnson’s deal with unfortunate pig comment

The former PM also revealed his nickname for Boris Johnson as he predicted the deal would pass, saying: “The thing about the greased piglet is that he manages to slip through other people’s hands where mere mortals fail.”

Cameron said that if he were still in Number 10, he would have opted for keeping closer relationship with the EU, and keeping the UK in the customs union.

But he said Johnson’s deal is better than no-deal, and comes close to what was promised in the 2017 election manifesto.

On his decision to support the deal, he said: “The country voted to leave the European Union, the best way to leave is with a deal, I think a no-deal Brexit would be bad for the economy and bad for the union.

“I think it’s much better to leave with a deal, and I think Boris has done well to achieve that deal.

“I hope he’ll get it through parliament, I suspect he will but it will be tight.”

Cameron, 53, was speaking at Harrogate’s Crown Hotel on the first night of the town’s literature festival to promote his book, For The Record.

Fielding questions from the BBC’s James Landale, he said of the deal: “We can’t go on being stuck. You can’t rule out having a general election if parliament cannot pass this deal and is still stuck, and you cannot rule out a second referendum.”

Asked about his relationship with Johnson and whether they had nicknames for one another, Mr Cameron said that a friend had texted him earlier on Thursday to ask if the new Brexit deal would be voted through parliament.

Cameron said he responded: “The thing about the greased piglet is that he manages to slip through other people’s hands where mere mortals fail.”

A small group of protesters had formed outside the hotel prior to Cameron’s talk, and he was repeatedly interrupted during the event.

At one stage, as he discussed the reasons for calling the 2016 referendum, one woman stood up and shouted: “I think the good people of Harrogate came here to hear an apology from you.”

As other audience members responded with a mixture of angry boos and applause, a man called out: “Apologise for ruining our country.”

It came after the author had described the three years following the referendum as “very painful for the country”.

When Cameron was at one stage discussing ways to unite the country following the division of the referendum, another man interrupted and shouted: “Your policy of austerity did absolutely nothing to bring this country together.”

When the man spoke across him as he attempted to respond, the former Conservative party leader quipped: “You can pay £35 to shout at me in here, or you can shout at me outside for free afterwards.”

The comment prompted cheers from the remaining members of the crowd.