The Archbishop of Canterbury has called for a 'ceasefire' on insults and personal attacks over Brexit.

Justin Welby referenced the legendary Christmas truce in 1914 during the First World War as he called for 'reconciliation and unity' between warring political factions over a hard or soft Brexit.

'It would be very good to have a ceasefire from insult and the use of pejorative terms about people at this time,' he told the BBC's Today programme which broadcast a special programme from Lambeth Palace on Thursday.

It comes after newspapers branded Tory rebel MPs as 'traitors' and 'mutineers'.

Welby was speaking the morning after 11 Conservative MPs voted with Labour to defeat the government and insist on a final parliamentary vote on the Brexit deal with the EU.

'We have made a decision about Brexit,' he said. 'That is clear. How we do that is a question for robust political argument.

'But there is a difference between disagreeing and personalised attacks. Those have to be avoided.'

He added: 'We need a political leadership that is united in their attitude to the future even if divided on policy.

In a wide-ranging interview the Archbishop was also asked about Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding in Windsor next May and about the Grenfell Tower tragedy.

The Archbishop will give a blessing at a multi-faith service marking the six-month anniversary of the Grenfell Tower fire at St Paul's Cathedral later today.

Welby said it was 'clear there was less attention given to the people in Grenfell Tower' than to more affluent tower blocks nearby and that betrayed a 'failure' in valuing every human being in the UK.

He praised the 'extraordinary community response' around Grenfell Tower but added it is 'not right' this should happen in a tower block in 21st century London.