Sir Ivan claimed European powers could refuse to grant an additional Article 50 extension, meaning Britain leaves without a deal on October 21. The UK had been due to depart on March 29, but this was delayed twice. Sir Ivan resigned from his post in January 2017, nine months before his post was due to end.

Speaking on BBC Newsnight he said: “I think this is the rather strange thing about the UK debate, as though we are the arbiters of whether no deal can ever happen and Parliament decides.

“Well it can happen because the other side can decide to pull the plug.

“You’ve already seen the pressures coming above all from Paris.

“If we’re cycling through this again six months down the track I think there will be more appetite in the European Union to say this is all a massive diversion from the agenda that we need to be pursuing.

“Brexit does not figure very high up on the strategic agenda of the European Union.”

Before Parliament broke-up for Easter Theresa May was negotiating with Labour in a bid to agree a Brexit deal that can pass the House of Commons.

The exit deal she negotiated with the EU has already been rejected three times by MPs.

Sir Ivan claimed EU leaders could tell the UK “we’ve given you a couple of extensions, you haven’t used the time, nothing has really happened, we’re aborting this process”.

The UK is due to take part in European Parliament elections on May 23, unless Mrs May’s deal is approved.

The Conservatives are facing a challenge from Nigel Farage’s Brexit Party, which launched earlier this year.

Change UK, a breakaway group of Labour and Conservative MPs who back a second referendum, will also be standing across the country.

A YouGov poll for the UK European Parliament elections put the Brexit Party first with 23 percent of the vote, ahead of Labour on 22 percent and the Tories on 17 percent.

Source: Read Full Article