There is a ’50-50 chance’ the UK will not leave the EU on March 29 if MPs reject Theresa May’s Brexit deal next month, Liam Fox has said.

The International Trade Secretary and Brexiteer minister believes that if the House of Commons votes down the Prime Minister’s deal in January, Brexit may not happen at all.

Mr Fox said it is a ‘tragedy’ remainers have ‘not come to terms with the referendum result’ and claimed there were people who would rather Britain fail than Brexit succeed.

International trade secretary Liam Fox believes Brexit is in the balance (Picture: Getty)

He said if May’s deal is rejected, that ‘would shatter the bond of trust between the electorate and Parliament’.




Mr Fox told the Sunday Times: ‘What you can be sure of is that is if we vote for the prime minister’s deal then its 100% certain that we will leave on March 29.

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‘If we were not to vote for that, I’m not sure I would give it more than 50-50.’

The Commons vote was due to be held on December 11 but the PM postponed after it became clear she would be defeated by a large margin.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn this week urged May to cut short MPs’ Christmas break – they are due back in the Commons on 7 January – to allow for an earlier vote.

The agreement negotiated by May with the EU – which sets the terms of the UK’s exit and a declaration on future relations – will only come into force with a majority backing in Parliament.

Theresa May’s withdrawal deal will go before the House of Commons this month (Picture: AFP)

Mr Fox said that if Brexit does not happen then politicians will have ‘betrayed’ everyone who voted in the referendum.

He said: ‘I think that would put us into unprecedented territory with unknowable consequences.

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‘For me the worst possible outcome of this process would be no Brexit. It is a sad fact that there are a number of people who rather see Britain fail than see Brexit succeed.

‘It is a great pity, almost a tragedy, that they are so un-reconciled to the results of the referendum.’

Conservative whips have been putting pressure on MPs over the festive period to back Theresa May’s withdrawal bill which is due to be voted on in the week of January 14.

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