Margot James tells PM: Rule out 'no deal' Brexit or I'll resign

The Digital Minister and Stourbridge MP and is one of three ministers to pen an article calling on Theresa May to extend Article 50 in a bid to avoid the "catastrophe" of leaving the EU without a deal.

The article, which was written with fellow ministers Richard Harrington and Claire Perry, said: "We can't go on like this, we must act immediately to ensure that we are not swept over the precipice on March 29.

"The way to do that is to seek a short extension to Article 50 to allow the negotiations to be completed, the legislation to pass and for the panic that businesses face to subside."

In an interview this morning on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, Ms James said: “All of us are agreed that we couldn’t be part of a government that allowed the country to leave the European Union without a deal.”

Asked if this meant they were ready to resign or be sacked, Ms James said: “If it comes to that, yes.”

However, Ms James said she was hopeful that Mrs May would offer an extension to Article 50 in a statement she was due to give to Parliament later today.

Mrs May is expected to make a last-ditch attempt to avoid a cabinet rebellion before tomorrow's Commons vote on a cross-party amendment put forward by the Conservative Oliver Letwin and Labour’s Yvette Cooper that would rule out a 'no deal' Brext.

Ms James, who is considered one of the Government's rising stars, said: “We don’t know what the whipping is going to be... what the Prime Minister is going to say in Parliament today. We have got every reason to hope that things will progress more smoothly.”

In their newspaper article the group signalled its support for the Cooper/Letwin amendment.

“It is a commitment that would be greeted with relief by the vast majority of MPs, businesses and their employees. We implore the Government to take that step this week," they wrote.

“But if the Prime Minister is not able to make this commitment, we will have no choice other than to join MPs of all parties in the House of Commons, including fellow ministers, in acting in the national interest to prevent a disaster in less than five weeks’ time that we may regret forever.”

It came as speculation mounted that as many as 15 ministers could be prepared quit as patience among MPs opposed to no deal is stretched to breaking point.

Ms James added: “For quite a long time colleagues and I have been very concerned about the way in which this deal, which the Prime Minister is trying to get through, is continuously being frustrated. As D-day approaches we felt honour-bound to do something to help prevent such a catastrophe.

“By making this stand, hopefully that will encourage others to come in and support that deal and get it through. That’s our primary goal.”

“If for any reason we can’t persuade enough colleagues to get in behind that deal then it is so near to March 29 that the only option going forward is to extend Article 50.

“I don’t think any of us want to see that happen, but I think we feel that if the deal doesn’t get through then that has to be the alternative.

"Otherwise this country leaves without a deal – which none of us wants – and there’s a parliamentary majority against that.”