Up to 40 Tory ministers are poised to quit if Theresa May forces through plans for a No Deal Brexit , a top Cabinet minister has warned.

Amber Rudd is understood to have told Downing Street it could suffer the exodus unless ministers get a say on blocking No Deal.

Ms Rudd is said to want a free vote on plans that would allow the 29 March Brexit date to be extended if there’s no agreement.

The Work and Pensions Secretary’s private warning, reported by multiple media outlets including The Times, was backed up by a government source.

It comes after Ms Rudd refused to rule out resigning if the government pursues No Deal.

At an event attended by the Mirror this month she said: "I have been in and out of Cabinet and I find you have more influence in Cabinet."

But she did not rule out leaving the government.

Other ministers including Richard Harrington and Steve Brine have suggested publicly they could go.

And Defence Minister Tobias Ellwood yesterday made a thinly-veiled call to delay Brexit – using the analogy of a cake.

Posting a photo of his son eating the cake, he said: "Cooked a banana cake yesterday.

"Told my son it will be ready in 20 mins – according to the cookbook. It took 30.

"It was a big decision – honouring the cookbook or take more time to get the right result."

Ms Rudd is believed to want a free vote on a plan by Yvette Cooper, the Labour MP, that is due for a vote next Tuesday.

The plan would force Theresa May to ask the EU to extend the 29 March date of Brexit – if there is no new deal by February 26.

Theresa May pooh-poohed calls to extend the date of Brexit last night but did not altogether rule it out.

Today, Brexit Secretary Stephen Barclay warned the EU might not support an extension to the date – even if the UK asked for one.

He told the BBC: "It is not in the unilateral gift of the UK to extend. There are practical issues.

"They have been very clear that they don’t want an extension with no purpose.

"And so we come back to the issue as to what it is MPs are for and just what they are against."

Ms Cooper’s plan is the leading contender in a string of amendments by MPs which seek to block a No Deal Brexit or delay the date.

The amendments will be voted on next Tuesday night.

Theresa May is still trying to get agreement to renegotiate her Brexit deal, which suffered a record defeat last week.

She wants MPs to ask for tweaks to the ‘backstop’ clause to stop it trapping the UK under EU customs rules.

But EU chiefs have already dismissed this plea.

And today it is reported that Mrs May’s chief civil service negotiator, Olly Robbins, cast doubt on her plan by texting Chancellor Philip Hammond – during a Cabinet conference call.

Read More

Latest Brexit news

Source: Read Full Article