In a scathing attack against his own Conservative Party, the former chancellor accused the Conservative leadership candidates of engaging in “fantasy” by pledging to take the UK out of the European Union on October 31, with or without a deal. Speaking to The Observer, Mr Clarke claimed the Tories are in “turmoil internally and deeply unpopular with the general public”. He raged the political system and Parliament is in “such mayhem” to the point they are unable to deal with the problems Brexit has brought.

Now it’s all come to an end and the political system and parliament is in such mayhem and incapable of dealing with the crisis that this referendum has provoked

Ken Clarke

Mr Clarke said: “This is a tragic farce of a crisis in which anger and protests are wide sentiments across the public scene.

“The Conservative party is in turmoil internally and deeply unpopular with the general public.

“My entire political career has been based on building up Britain’s political standing and economic prosperity through our membership of the EU and the European project.

“Now it’s all come to an end and the political system and parliament is in such mayhem and incapable of dealing with the crisis that this referendum has provoked.”

The former chancellor also sensationally revealed he would back an opposition attempt to usurp the Government if a new Conservative leader tried to overrule Parliament and force through Brexit.

Mr Clarke said: “If there’s no other way, then you’ve got to bring that government down.

“You can’t have somebody saying ‘I’m going to be a dictatorial president for a month or two and fix everything despite parliamentary approval.

“If some idiot was sailing onto a no-deal Brexit, I’d decide politics had finally gone mad and I was not going to support this.

“If the choice eventually became no deal or a second referendum, then they’d try to win my support – I’d stop abstaining and I’d vote for it.”

The warning from the former Chancellor comes after fellow Tory MP Dominic Grieve warned he would “not hesitate” to bring down a Tory Government if the new Prime Minister presses ahead with a no deal Brexit.

He told MPs: “The only way of stopping that Prime Minister would be to bring down that Prime Minister’s Government.

“I will not hesitate to do that, even if it means me resigning the whip and leaving the party.”

Last week, Tory leadership hopeful Rory Stewart also warned he would also help “bring down” any Government which moved to suspend Parliament to stop MPs from blocking the plans.

Mr Clarke is backing Mr Stewart in the race to become the next leader of the Conservative Party.

The former Chancellor raged any notion of leaving the EU on October 31 without a Brexit deal in place is “utterly farcical”.

He said: “With the exception of Rory Stewart they seem to be implying that they have some magic key to changing reality and getting the withdrawal agreement re-opened, or getting some marvellous technology that can check every lorry crossing the Irish border without having to have any customs officers there.

“The idea that we just leave on 31 October with no deal is utterly farcical.”

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