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European Parliament’s Brexit co-ordinator has said Britain will “face the abyss” if it fails to break the deadlock in the Commons.
Guy Verhofstadt’s stark warning to the UK’s MPs comes after they again rejected all alternative to Thersea May’s deal on Monday.
Mr Verhofstadt said a hard Brexit has become “nearly inevitable” as MPs remain undecided on the best way forward.
Tweeting following Monday night’s votes, he wrote: “The House of Commons again votes against all options.
“A hard Brexit becomes nearly inevitable. On Wednesday, the UK has a last chance to break the deadlock or face the abyss.”
Backbench MPs will on Wednesday again take charge of the Commons timetable to consider Brexit plans under Tory MP Sir Oliver Letwin’s scheme to break the Parliamentary deadlock.
It comes after all options on the UK’s future relationship with the EU were rejected for the second time in a series of indicative votes for the second time on Monday night.
Four alternative plans, designed to establish what kind of Brexit has a chance of winning a majority in the House of Commons, were voted down by MPs on Monday evening.
They included a “Norway-plus” plan for close UK engagement with the EU after Brexit, or Common Market 2.0, proposed by Conservative Nick Boles.
After his plan was defeated by 282 votes to 261, Mr Boles declared that he would no longer sit as a Tory MP, blaming the party for refusing to compromise on a means of leaving the European Union.
The other defeated motions included Tory grandee Kenneth Clarke’s plan for a customs union, Labour backbenchers Peter Kyle and Phil Wilson’s demand for a referendum on any Brexit deal passed by Parliament, and SNP MP Joanna Cherry’s call for Brexit to be cancelled if the UK appears to be on course to crash out of the EU without a deal.
The closest to passing was Mr Clarke’s motion, which was defeated by just three votes, 276 to 273.
The customs union went down by 292 votes in 280 while the proposal to block no-deal Brexit lost by 292 votes to 191.
Brexit Secretary Steve Barclay told MPs that the default outcome was now a no-deal Brexit on April 12, but said it was still possible to leave with a deal and avoid holding European Parliament elections in May if the Commons approves an agreement this week.
Mr Barclay told MPs: “This House has continuously rejected leaving without a deal, just as it has rejected not leaving at all.
“Therefore the only option is to find a way through which allows the UK to leave with a deal. The Government continues to believe that the best course to take is to do so as soon as possible.”
Tory MPs were given a free vote on the options, but cabinet ministers were told to abstain.
It was earlier confirmed that senior ministers will meet in cabinet for a total of five hours on Tuesday to discuss the way ahead, amid speculation about possible resignations, a general election or change of Tory leader.
