Agriculture Minister Barnaby Joyce has demoted Clive Palmer from cult leader to lavatory rat.

One day after labelling the Palmer United Party (PUP) a cult, Mr Joyce has backed up with a more creative dig at its leader.

“He’s as cunning as a lavatory rat,” the minister told ABC radio on Tuesday.

The PUP will wield considerable crossbench clout when the Senate changes in July, with Mr Joyce concerned the mining magnate will “turn the nation upside down”.

Mr Joyce on Monday lumped the PUP, the Katter’s Australian Party and Pauline Hanson’s One Nation Party together as cults.

“I’m always concerned about parties that are named after people,” he said.

“They’re not so much philosophies, they’re cults.”