SECRET plans to pay a hefty EU divorce bill to get Brexit talks moving could be blocked by MPs, it emerged last night.

Theresa May will not be able to hand over a penny to Brussels without a Commons vote.

5 MPs could block plans to pay a hefty EU divorce bill to get Brexit talks moving, it has emerged Credit: Getty Images - Getty

And many MPs have said they will refuse to sanction an over-generous payment unless it has been costed pound by pound.

The stumbling block emerged amid claims that ministers are secretly planning an initial offer of £46billion in a bid to kick-start trade talks.

Brexit Secretary David Davis has dismissed the figure as “total rubbish”.

But now he has been told that even if he wanted to hand over “a few quid” he would need an Act of Parliament first.

Ministers do not have constitutional power to hand over cash to other countries unless it is for aid.

Leading Tory Eurosceptic John Redwood declared: “They will also find that if they wanted to make a payment as overseas aid to the EU it would not qualify under our Aid budget criteria, as the EU as a whole is too rich.

5 Theresa May is said hatching a secret plan to a £46billion EU divorce bill in a bid to get talks moving Credit: EPA

5 David Davis says the figure of £46billion is 'rubbish' Credit: AFP

“The only way UK Ministers could authorise a leaving payment would be to put through an Act of Parliament specifically authorising such an ex gratia payment. I can’t see many Conservative MPs wanting to vote for that.”

MPs of all parties indicated yesterday that they too would block such a huge payment – with some even saying we should not hand over a penny.

Mrs May’s hopes of getting her Great Repeal Bill through the Commons were on a knife-edge last night.

Some Remainer MPs have threatened to rebel against the move – despite warnings it would be giving support to Jeremy Corbyn.

5 If Remainer MPs rebel against the bill more support could go towards Jeremy Corbyn Credit: Getty Images - Getty

Labour whips claim they have stopped a rebellion of their own and believe that about a third of their 20 pro-Brexit MPs will vote with the government.

Huge opposition to a divorce bill will also send a message to the EU that they need to talk about future trade before clinching a farewell settlement.

Labour MP Kate Hoey said: “I suspect a lot of MPs would in principle vote against any excessive payment.

“I would vote against paying a big bill unless I could be convinced that all the money we have paid in over many years ahd been taken into account first.

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“But my quick calculations suggest that the British public would be expecting to pay very very little, if anything at all.

“If you quit a leisure club you stop paying your membership fee – and you don’t expect to carry on paying for the pensions of staff after you’ve gone.”

Tory MP Jacob Rees-Mogg said: “Almost certainly there will have to be a vote on any settlement bill.

“The money has to be voted through by parliament and with MPs facing the fury of voters, it cannot be too much money.

5 Jacob Rees-Mogg said there has to be a vote on any settlement bill Credit: PA:Press Association

“There’s a great disconnect between the births establishment and British voters on this. The established view is that it is not reasonable to pay anything.

“The interesting conundrum facing the Commons is that if MPs think that we are paying too much money or for too long a transition period then it won’t get through the Commons and if it’s too Eurosceptic a deal, it won’t get through the Commons either.”

“If you give up your membership of a leisure or social club, you don’t have to carry on paying for the staff pensions after you’ve left.