Theresa May on collision course with parliament over no deal as MPs prepare to reject her Brexit plans

The prime minister accepted her agreement could be defeated as she told ministers she would ‘move quickly’ if it is voted down

Theresa May is on a collision course with parliament after Downing Street indicated she would take Britain out of the European Union without a deal if MPs reject her proposals in a crunch vote.

At cabinet the prime minister acknowledged defeat could be on the cards next week, telling ministers she would “move quickly” to make a statement if her plans fall.

Her spokesperson later underlined that while she would prefer a deal, “she is going to deliver” Brexit on 29 March regardless – and that is why no-deal preparations had been implemented.

But the scale of the battle she faces became immediately apparent as two cabinet ministers signalled they would not stand for the country leaving without a withdrawal agreement.

Two different groups of cross-party MPs also moved to block her from pursuing no deal – with one including senior Conservative MPs flexing their political muscles by inflicting a defeat on her administration in the Commons.

The stakes were raised ahead of the resumption of debate on Wednesday about the Brexit deal agreed between the prime minister and Brussels.

At the morning’s cabinet meeting the prime minister was asked what would happen if the meaningful vote on the deal confirmed for Tuesday 15 January goes against her, with Ms May responding she would “move quickly” to make a statement.

Asked at a briefing later in the day whether it would ultimately mean leaving without a deal, her spokesperson said that was not a preferred option.

But pressed again, he said: “The British people voted to leave the European Union on March 29 this year and that is what she is going to deliver.

“It’s the position of the government that we want to leave with a deal, but we are preparing to leave in other scenarios and that includes no deal.”

The prime minister made clear in cabinet to her ministers that there would be no extension of Article 50 and is said to have once again poured scorn on the idea of a new referendum, highlighting recent polling that it is strongly opposed by Conservative supporters.

But the controversial nature of her stance was immediately underlined as business secretary Greg Clark told MPs in the Commons chamber that “no deal should not be contemplated”.

At the cabinet meeting itself pensions secretary Amber Rudd, one of Ms May’s closest allies, told colleagues: “History will take a dim view of a cabinet that presses ahead with no deal.”

The fact that so much was almost instantly leaked from the meeting, even before Ms May’s aides had a chance to fully brief journalists, appeared to speak to the cabinet’s strained unity.

Brexiteer ministers told The Independent the choice being put forward by the prime minister is indeed “her deal or no deal” by 29 March, with one source being certain it would not change even if cabinet Remainers quit their jobs.

The debate on Ms May’s deal will start on Wednesday, opened by Brexit secretary Stephen Barclay, for five days, with government whips already having seen off an attempt by MPs to bring the final vote forward from next Tuesday to this Thursday.

But that was just one of several moves launched by different groups of cross-party MPs to take control of the government’s Brexit strategy as the clock ticks down towards Britain’s withdrawal.

One group, led by former Labour cabinet minister Yvette Cooper and ex-Tory education secretary Nicky Morgan, pushed through an amendment to the government’s Finance Bill to prevent the government introducing new tax rises in the case of a no-deal Brexit, unless MPs have specifically voted in favour of them.

Government insiders said the amendment was undesirable but would not ultimately be significant enough to prevent a no deal or the government’s ability to act appropriately, but with around 20 Tories backing the move it did point to a hardening cross-party coalition against no deal.

Another group – led by former Tory cabinet minister Caroline Spelman and Labour shadow minister Jack Dromey, who had penned a letter signed by more than 200 MPs calling on the PM to rule out no deal – went in to see Ms May in Downing Street.

The Independent understands Mr Dromey told Ms May she could not simply keep saying “my deal or no deal”, but added that the prime minister refused to respond with any other message than her deal was the only option on the table.