Brexit vote: Defeat for Theresa May would torpedo PM's chance to win concessions, says Liam Fox

Eurosceptic Tories have been threatening to rebel on the government's Brexit motion

A cabinet minister has warned Tory rebels not to torpedo Theresa May’s chance to secure concessions from Brussels by inflicting a Commons defeat on her Brexit plans.

International trade secretary Liam Fox rebuked his fellow Conservatives for treating parliament as an “internal debating society” and said voting against the government on Thursday could send the “wrong signal” to Brussels.

The European Research Group (ERG), made up of Tory backbench Brexiteers, is threatening to vote against a government motion that endorses parliament’s recent non-binding vote against a no-deal Brexit.

It comes as MPs were gearing up to vote on a series of Brexit options in the Commons, including bids for a second referendum and to revoke article 50.

“What we say is looked at and listened to by those that we are negotiating with,” Dr Fox told the Today programme.

“They will be looking to see whether parliament is showing consistency because in the debates and the votes we had recently there were two things - one was that parliament said we don’t want there to be no-deal, and that we will sign up to the prime minister’s deal if we are able to get changes to the Irish backstop.”

He said there was a “tendency” for MPs to think the votes were an “academic and ideological purity exercise” and they should remember that European leaders would be watching the debate “to see if they get the impression that if they were to make those concessions, parliament would definitely deliver on that”.

Dr Fox added: “I think that there’s a danger that we send the wrong signals and I think that we need to understand that the public want us to leave the European Union but they would prefer us to leave the European Union with a deal.

“And therefore parliament has got a duty to ensure that we send the correct signals that represent those views of the British people and represent them to those we are negotiating with.”

His words were later echoed by Downing Street, with Ms May's official spokesman telling reporters: “It is important that MPs support the Prime Minister today in order to send another clear message to Brussels on the need to address Parliament's concerns about the backstop, so we can leave on time with a deal on 29 March.”

Leading Brexiteer Steve Baker said compromising on no-deal was the “daftest negotiating strategy” and laid the blame for the row at the government’s door.

He said: “Let’s send the right signals. (But is the EU really hanging on a non-binding motion at 5pm on a Thursday afternoon?)

“Conservative MPs really ought not to be associated with anything, express or implied, which seems to take no deal off the table.

“Compromising no deal would be the daftest negotiating strategy and not in the national interest.

“Today’s storm in a teacup only arises because the government’s motion is not neutral. This unnecessary carry on is wanted by no one.”

While Ms May could survive a defeat on the government motion, it would prove embarassing as she scrambles to secure concessions to her withdrawal proposals.

Several amendments have been tabled to the motion, which will be selected by Speaker John Bercow on Thursday morning.

Labour has tabled an amendment to the government motion, forcing Ms May to either put her deal to a Commons vote by February 27 or allow parliament to take control of the process.

Former Tory chancellor Ken Clarke has tabled an amendment calling for MPs to be able to rank Brexit options in order of preference, while Labour MP Roger Godsiff has put forward a bid for a second referendum.