British ministers calling for more time to make a deal

THERESA May could be given the chance to take up Leo Varadkar’s latest offer as she faces calls from her own ministers to delay Brexit, the Irish Daily Mail can reveal today.

Amid cabinet divisions over how to break the deadlock, she has been warned there is ‘no way’ Britain will be ready to leave the EU on March 29 next year.

While Downing Street has insisted there would be no extension to the two-year Article 50 process, one minister last night said it was inevitable. He told the Mail: ‘We are running out of time, we will have to extend Article 50. Once we get through Christmas there will be less than 100 days to go and there is just no way we can get this deal through on time.

‘There are people talking about extending it by three months, or six months. It’s not clear what will happen but it does look like it will have to be extended.’

But ministers are divided on how to move forward. David Lidington, the prime minister’s de facto deputy, yesterday twice refused to rule out resigning if she pursues a no-deal Brexit.

Asked if he would be prepared to take the UK out of the EU without a deal, he told Sky News: ‘That is not the policy of the government or the prime minister who I support and work for. The policy of the entire cabinet, which includes colleagues who both campaigned to leave and campaigned to remain, is that we do not want no deal, we want to have a deal, that is what we are continuing to work towards.’ In a separate interview, he left the door open to holding a series of non-binding ‘indicative’ votes on different Brexit outcomes including the so-called Norway and Canada options – as well as no deal – to test the opinion of MPs.

Another minister suggested a second referendum may be a better option than risking a no-deal outcome.

On a visit to Glasgow, Michael Gove yesterday insisted he believes the Prime Minister’s Brexit deal will survive. The Environment Secretary said: ‘Yes, I think it can.’