MP: 'No deal' should be part of any Brexit negotiation

Government whip Wendy Morton was one of 160 MPs to vote for a plan put forward by Conservative MP John Baron, which called for the UK to leave the EU without a deal on April 12 under World Trade Organisation rules.

The proposal was defeated by a majority of 240 in last night's indicative votes, but Aldridge-Brownhills MP Mrs Morton says that 'no deal' should still be on the table.

She said that while she was focused on delivering the Prime Minister's Brexit deal, it was crucial that Parliament respected the result of the EU referendum.

The MP also hit out at Speaker John Bercow for attempting to block a third meaningful vote on Brexit, and praised Theresa May's

The prospect of 'no deal' has been a huge bone of contention within Tory circles.

It is the option of choice among Brexiteers including Sir Bill Cash, Eddie Hughes and Michael Fabricant, but is seen as a worst case scenario among those who prefer a 'softer' Brexit, including Stafford MP Jeremy Lefroy and Stourbridge MP and Digital Minister Margot James, who threatened to quit the Government unless it was ruled out.

Mrs Morton, who backed Remain in the referendum and has backed the Prime Minister's EU Withdrawal Agreement on both occasions, said: "I feel that 'no deal' should be a part of any negotiation.

"My overarching aim as the MP for Aldridge-Brownhills and as part of this Government is to deliver on Brexit.

"We had the referendum, 68 per cent of people in Walsall voted to come out and I've always said I would do my best to respect that and deliver on it. That is what I am trying to do.

"I didn't agree with the process of indicative votes, and was firmly against all of the other options that were put before us.

"We have had a referendum and we have also had a General Election, it was quite clear in my patch and across the country what people's views were. It is our duty as elected MPs to deliver on that.

"My focus remains on on trying to get the deal that we have across the line."

The 'no deal' plan was also backed by Halesowen & Rowley Regis MP James Morris, Dudley South MP Mike Wood and Cannock Chase MP Amanda Milling, as well as Mr Hughes, Mr Fabricant and Sir Bill Cash.

Mrs May has offered to resign as Prime Minister in a bid to get her deal through Parliament, and had hoped to put it back before MPs tomorrow.

However, her plans have been left hanging in the balance after the DUP continued to oppose it and Speaker John Bercow said it would not be allowed back before the House unless it was "significantly" changed.

Mrs Morton said: "You cannot fault the Prime Minister and the sense of service and duty that has given the country in terms of delivering Brexit.

"I stand firmly behind her in getting this deal across the line. We have still got work to do and it is pretty tough.

"I think that the Speaker is making a challenging situation even more challenging. And I find his behaviour quite hard to comprehend at times."

With the DUP refusing to come on board the Government will need to rely on support from the Labour benches, although few of Jeremy Corbyn's MPs have indicated that they will back the deal.

Warley MP John Spellar defied the Labour Party whip to vote against a second referendum, but said today: "I won't be supporting the Prime Minister's deal.

"We need a new face at the helm and a reset of the negotiations."