The ex-Tory management candidate stated it was “a miracle they weren’t dead”. His feedback will heighten concern in regards to the psychological torment suffered by the nation’s MPs.

He advised GB News: “Colleagues tried to kill themselves. People I knew. And in very serious ways, I mean almost killed themselves.”

The former International Development Secretary condemned “bitter” MPs whose “basic mission in life is to try to humiliate other people” and described the psychological anguish some MPs endured.

He stated: “There were other colleagues who had total breakdowns in the most humiliating, personal, embarrassing fashion possible in public.

And I think this is because the gap between the way that MPs are encouraged to present themselves to the publicand who they really are is almost unsustainable for most people.

“It’s mad, because you’re pretending to be all-knowing, perfect, dynamic, confident, I’ve got the answers to everything, and I know where we’re going.

The truth is, this is a country of 70 million people, and politicians don’t really know what’s going on.” He ended up “despising” himself for his personal behaviour, saying: “I would find myself sort of creepily trying to sit next to David Cameron at lunch, and I’d send these texts saying, you know, ‘Congratulations on your latest policy’ that I didn’t really believe in.

And so, I began to feel I was being made, in my early 40s, into some kind of child.”

A Government supply stated extra psychological well being help is now accessible to MPs. A House of Commons spokesman stated MPs and workers can entry a “parliamentary health and wellbeing service”.

● The full interview shall be proven on the Michael Portillo present on GB News at the moment from 11am.