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The Telegraph has learnt that ministers have already discussed the possibility of a two-year delay.
A total of 18 members of the Government either voted for or abstained from a motion to block no deal for good, despite them standing on a manifesto that promised Britain would be prepared to walk away from the EU without a deal. On Wednesday night it emerged that a senior Government figure – a Remain voter – told the ministers they could abstain without being sacked, in direct contradiction of Julian Smith, the Chief Whip, who was said to be “incandescent”. One MP said: “He went rogue – I don’t think [Mrs May] knew what he was doing. It was part of a plot to get Remainer rebels to block no deal.”
Mrs May is so weakened that she did not sack any of the ministers who defied the whip, who also included Claire Perry, the business minister. Sarah Newton, the minister for disabled people, was the only minister to resign. The Tory Party was on the brink of open warfare as Philip Hammond, the Chancellor, used his Spring Statement to set out an alternative Brexit. He said it was time to “map out a way forward towards building a consensus ... for a deal we can collectively support” – a comment seen as a call to compromise with Labour, rather than pursuing Mrs May’s path of winning over Tory MPs and calling a third vote on her deal.
Mrs May is now under pressure from some Cabinet members, including Mr Hammond, to hold a series of so-called indicative votes on Thursday to find out what Parliament wants. The votes on options that could include a “common market 2.0” and even a customs union would not be binding, but would inform the Government of what sort of deal might command a majority.
If she does not allow such votes, a cross-party group plans to table an amendment to Thursday night’s vote to ensure indicative votes happened next week. MPs rejected an attempt by Brexiteers to change the date of Britain’s exit from the EU to May 22 and then impose a “standstill” period for two and half years to allow a trade deal to be agreed. The so-called Malthouse Amendment was defeated by 374 to 164, a majority of 210. Duncan Smith, the former Conservative leader, said: “I have never in 27 years as an MP seen anything like what is happening in Government now.”