The Government is secretly planning to stay in the European Union, Eurosceptics fear, after it emerged that Whitehall officials have set aside hundreds of thousands of pounds to spend on European Parliament elections.

The electoral watchdog has been handed a budget of £829,000 to pay for its “activities relating to a European Parliamentary election in 2019”, The Telegraph can disclose.

The Electoral Commission said it had set aside the cash as a “precautionary measure, so that we have the necessary funds to deliver our functions at a European Parliamentary election, in the unlikely event that they do go ahead.”

The elections will take place between May 23 and May 26 next year – after Britain is meant to have left the EU on March 29 – prompting concerns that civil servants are preparing for the UK not to leave the EU as planned.

The Electoral Commission said the cash would allow it to carry out its statutory functions including “providing advice and guidance to political parties and candidates”, as well as offering “advice and guidance to Returning Officers to enable a well-run poll”.