Dominic Grieve says Tory rebels are prepared to 'collapse the government' to block a 'catastrophic' Brexit deal

‘I wake up at 2am in a cold sweat thinking about the problems that we have put on our shoulders’

Dominic Grieve says Tory rebels are prepared to “collapse the government” if that is necessary to block the “catastrophic” damage from a botched Brexit.

The group’s leader vowed they would not back down in a further Commons showdown this week to secure a “meaningful vote” designed to block a “no-deal” exit.

Instead, Mr Grieve accused pro-Brexit hardliners in his own party of seeming to “prefer chaos”, rather than reach an agreement to give MPs a voice in the process.

Asked if he was ready to defeat the government, he replied: “The group is quite determined that the meaningful vote pledge that was given to us has got to be fulfilled – I think that is abundantly clear.”

And, asked what might happen if Theresa May’s deal was later rejected, Mr Grieve said: “We could collapse the government. And I can assure you, I wake up at 2am in a cold sweat thinking about the problems that we have put on our shoulders.”

But the former attorney general vowed not to bow to pressure and risk leaving the EU without an agreement – which he called a demand to “sign up to a slavery clause”.

It asked that “however potentially catastrophic it might be for my constituents and my country, I’m signing in blood now that I will follow over the edge of the cliff”, he warned.

“That I can tell you I am not prepared to do,” Mr Grieve told the BBC’s Daily Politics programme.

The comments set up another dramatic showdown on Wednesday, when the EU Withdrawal Bill returns to the Commons – with the Lords certain to reject an attempted government compromise on Monday.

A rebellion was aborted last week when the prime minister partially agreed to the rebels’ demands for MPs to have a decisive vote to block a no-deal Brexit.

They were stunned when the amendment was later altered, so that MPs would only be able to debate a no-deal outcome, rather than change the government’s course.

The Independent understands the last-minute change was made after fierce objections from Brexiteers and the intervention of David Davis, the Brexit secretary.

Earlier, Ms May denied she had gone back on a promise given to the pro-EU Tory MPs, insisting she was a woman of her word.

“I did indeed meet a group of my fellow MPs. I listened to their concerns and I undertook to consider their concerns,” she told The Andrew Marr Show.

But she suggested she would not back down, vowing: “Parliament cannot tie the hands of government in negotiations.”

The rebels believe they have the numbers to win, but Brexiteers are equally convinced they are exaggerating their strength – pointing to a nailbiting vote on Wednesday.

The prime minister also revealed her long-promised white paper on long-term Brexit aims would finally be published in the week beginning 9 July.

It was due to set out the UK’s negotiating position ahead of the crucial EU summit at the end of June, but was delayed by cabinet infighting over customs and the Irish border.

Ms May again insisted she could not agree to any EU move to create a trade border between Britain and Northern Ireland, stating: “That’s not right. That’s not acceptable.”

And she sought to reassure nervous Brexiteers, saying: “The message is government has agreed that we will have an independent trade policy. We will be free to negotiate those trade deals around the rest of the world.”