Theresa May admits country is 'in crisis' with 10 days to avert no-deal Brexit

She will now write to European Council president Donald Tusk setting out her next steps ahead of a summit starting Thursday

Theresa May has admitted the country is in crisis as she prepares to write to the EU explaining her next steps with Britain heading towards a no-deal Brexit in ten days.

The prime minister’s spokesman argued that a crisis had now “come to pass”, as Ms May warned it would after the House of Commons rejected her Brexit deal last week.

She will now write to European Council president Donald Tusk setting out her next steps, a letter likely to involve some kind of request for a delay to Brexit.

The move follows a cabinet meeting on Tuesday morning at which tensions peaked with a clash between Brexiteers and remain ministers.

Pressure on the prime minister’s administration has reached new heights after commons speaker John Bercow blocked the government from holding a vote on Ms May’s deal before the European Council starting Thursday.

Ms May invited Boris Johnson into Downing Street on Tuesday as she continues to also have talks with DUP and Labour MPs in a bid to secure a majority for her deal.

The PM’s spokesman said: “If you look back to the speech she gave just before the [second vote on her deal], she said if MPs did not support [it] we would be in a crisis.

“I think events yesterday tell you that that situation has come to pass.”

The spokesman said Ms May would be writing to Mr Tusk with regard to an extension of Article 50 ahead of the summit in Brussels on Thursday.

It is unclear at this point exactly what she would ask for, but The Independent understands it would be possible for her to seek a longer extension that could be curtailed if she manages to win a vote on her Brexit deal next week.

The PM’s spokesman said there was “an absolute determination” in cabinet to find a way for parliament to vote to leave the EU with a deal.

This used to be the cabinet that would deliver Brexit and now from what I’m hearing it’s not

Commons leader Andrea Leadsom

He added: “They had a full discussion which covered both the implications of the speaker’s comments yesterday and the upcoming European Council.”

Mr Bercow angered the government on Tuesday when he said he would not allow the prime minister to bring a further vote on her deal before the commons unless there were substantial changes to the “proposition”.

Exactly what this means is yet to be seen, but ultimately it means the government must convince the speaker that what is on offer for any new vote, is different to what was been tabled in the past, or alternatively they must win a vote to overturn the speaker’s ruling.

The UK is still legally set to leave the EU according to statue already passed by parliament, regardless of a non-binding vote which set out MPs’ which not do so.

The cabinet meeting on Tuesday saw a 90-minute discussion punctuated with difficult exchanges – Leave-backing commons leader Andrea Leadsom told colleagues: “This used to be the cabinet that would deliver Brexit and now from what I’m hearing it’s not.”