Defeat means Corbyn in No10

THERESA May’s allies last night intensified their warnings to Tory MPs that defeat for her deal could help Jeremy Corbyn into Downing Street by Christmas.

Shadow business secretary Rebecca Long-Bailey signalled that her party was ready to work with other parties to push an alternative Brexit plan if Mrs May’s deal is blocked by MPs.

She told BBC’s Andrew Marr Show: “Once the deal falls, the Prime Minister is under a duty then to set out what she is going to do next.

“We would urge her to either call a general election – because she wouldn’t have the confidence of Parliament to carry on as Prime Minister and when a Government that can’t pass a key policy proposal such as this, I question their legitimacy to carry on. But alternatively she could offer to renegotiate around a deal that would provide consensus in Parliament and we have been trying to set out such a deal for some time.”

A senior Tory source said: “Labour are saying they are ready to take over. We could have Corbyn in Downing Street by Christmas. That should concentrate minds ahead of the vote.”