The Father of the House insisted the British Parliament would intervene to ensure no future Prime Minister is allowed to deliver a no deal Brexit. MPs in March struck down the idea of quitting the European Union without a formal agreement but several candidates running to take over from Theresa May in Number 10 have said they will deliver Brexit with or without a deal. Mr Clarke rejected the suggestion as he claimed Parliament “has more powers” than just changing laws. 

Speaking to the Today programme on Monday morning, the senior Tory MP said: “I find it a constitutional innovation this argument that all Parliament can do is change laws, that governments no longer need the approval of Parliament for policy.

“If you’d suggested 20 years ago that a government could proceed despite the fact Parliament had passed a motion condemning the policy it was pursuing, that would have been regarded as absolutely absurd.

“We’ve got conventions, Parliament has got more powers than just the power to change the laws.”

Mr Clarke also signalled MPs may launch a confidence challenge against any future Prime Minister if they believe accountability is under threat.

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He added: “Procedurally, you may have to tie it to a vote of confidence or whatever if that Prime Minister was ploughing on regarding himself or herself not accountable to Parliament.”

Tory leadership contenders Boris Johnson and Esther McVey have pledged to deliver Britain’s departure out of the European Union whether a deal is agreed or not.

Ms McVey said she would circumvent risks of Parliament blocking a no deal scenario by not bringing a withdrawal deal back to the Commons for amendments. 

She told the BBC: “We need to look at how the process works because it’s a lot wrong on this. What we’ve got is Article 50, which means we are leaving on the date and that is October 31.

“The Prime Minister last time kept bringing forward her withdrawal agreement. When you bring something forward to the floor of the house, it’s only then that things can be amended. 

“I wouldn’t be bringing back the withdrawal agreement so there would be nothing you can amend to alter it.”

In a shock U-turn from his previous stance, Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt also admitted he would be willing to pursue a hard exit from the bloc “in extremis.”

Mr Hunt said: “In the end, if the only way to leave the European Union, to deliver on the result of the referendum, was to leave without a deal, then I would do that.

“But I would do so very much as a last resort, with a heavy heart because of the risks to businesses and the risks to the union.

“I would be prepared to do it in extremis but I wouldn’t do it if there was a prospect of a better deal and I think there is a prospect of a better deal and I think it’s possible to get one before October 31, although I don’t pretend it’s going to be easy.”

The Tory leadership contest will open officially on June 7 once Theresa May steps down.

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