'F*** knows. I'm past caring. It's like the living dead in here': Minister's verdict on Theresa May bringing back her Brexit deal

Despairing minister castigates prime minister's 'inability to engage in the most basic human interaction'

Perhaps reflecting the exasperation felt by many in the country on the day Britain was meant to depart the European Union, one cabinet minister exhausted by Theresa May’s stubborn Brexit strategy apparently delivered an expletive-ridden outburst when asked about the prime minister's decision to bring her derided deal back for yet another parliamentary vote.

The BBC’s Nick Watt said when he asked the unnamed MP why Ms May was calling a third vote on her plan, the minister said: “F*** knows. I’m past caring. It’s like the living dead in here.”

Although No 10 believes it does have a chance of winning over a majority of MPs at the third time of asking, most in government think it is hopeless, Mr Watt reported on Newsnight on Thursday evening.

He said the despairing minister said Ms May was the “sole architect” of the chaos which has engulfed British politics in recent months.

“It is her inability to engage in the most basic human interactions that brought us here," the minister reportedly told Watt.

“Cabinet is totally broken down. Ministers say their bit, she gives nothing away. One side thinks X will happen, the other side think Y will happen, and the prime minister decides on Z.”

The government announced on Thursday that Friday's vote will only be on the formal withdrawal arrangements, separating out the outline of the future relationship.

This is an attempt to persuade divided MPs they can back an exit from the EU without committing yet to any particular outcome in the ensuing negotiations.

But Labour has signalled it will still vote against the deal, as will the Democratic Unionist Party, which remains opposed to the Irish border backstop

If parliament does pass Ms May’s deal it will unlock an extension of the Article 50 process until 22 May to allow time to pass the necessary legislation to implement the deal.

But if MPs vote it down for a third time, the extension will only last until 12 April, the date by which the UK must decide if it will crash out of the EU without a deal or request a much longer extension and thus take part in European Parliament elections in May.