It now appears extremely likely that the Prime Minister’s bad Brexit deal will be rejected by Parliament. This is plain for everyone to see following the near constant political chaos that has engulfed the Government and the damaging, historic parliamentary defeats of recent days.

If, as expected, the deal is voted down next week in the most important vote for MPs since the Iraq War, Parliament and the whole country will need time and space to consider how we can get ourselves out of the mess created by the Prime Minister and her Government.

In the absence of a general election, I would like to see a public vote to ensure the British people get the final say on Brexit. Others will no doubt call for a fresh start to the negotiations. But whatever Parliament decides at that point, the most important thing will be to act extremely quickly to avoid a catastrophic no-deal Brexit on March 29.

That’s why, in a speech in Dublin today, I’m calling on Theresa May to withdraw Article 50 if Parliament rejects her deal, as a way to guarantee we avoid falling off the cliff edge.

I believe the prospect — the very notion — of a no-deal Brexit must be taken off the table by the Government, despite the fanciful assurances from Boris Johnson and other extreme Brexiteers. This is because it’s simply too dangerous to leave no-deal as an option. In recent months, we have seen worrying evidence piling up that shows the devastating consequences that a no-deal Brexit would have on jobs, growth, public safety, food supply and living standards.

Independent economic analysis commissioned by City Hall revealed that a no-deal Brexit could lead to a lost decade — or even longer — of significantly lower growth. This would have a huge impact on Londoners and people across the country. It means there could be 500,000 fewer jobs across the country and nearly £50 billion less investment by 2030 than would otherwise have been the case.

The Bank of England has gone even further, warning that a no-deal Brexit could trigger a deep and damaging recession, with more severe consequences for the UK economy than the 2008 financial crisis. And other reports have predicted that London and regions across the country could run out of medicines and food.

All of this must be avoided at all costs. Dominic Grieve’s amendment this week is good news and will give Parliament a greater role in influencing what happens if Theresa May’s deal is rejected. But we still need to go further because the risk of a no-deal Brexit is still far too high.

Worryingly, just yesterday Andrea Leadsom, the Leader of the House of Commons, said no-deal would still be the default position for the Government. This is totally reckless, and it would represent the ultimate dereliction of duty for a Government to oversee a policy that left people poorer and less safe.

Withdrawing Article 50 — which should not have been triggered in the first place without a clear plan — would stop the clock that’s ticking down towards a no-deal Brexit and provide the breathing space we need to move forward in a sensible, mature fashion in the best interests of the whole country. This is an approach that’s been sorely missing in recent years.

I now think it’s important that Article 50 is withdrawn rather than just extended. To extend it would require the agreement of all the other 27 EU member states. The UK would also only have limited control over the length of the extension. Arranging a new public vote could take many months and — following the mistruths and lies peddled during the 2016 EU referendum — we would want to have sufficient time to ensure that the campaign rules are as robust and strong as possible.

Withdrawing Article 50, by contrast, can be done unilaterally by the Government — as the Advocate General of the European Court of Justice, Manuel Campos Sánchez-Bordona, appeared to confirm this week. This means it would clearly be the easiest, quickest and safest way to ensure that we do not crash out of the EU with no deal and that we have enough time for either a general election or a public vote.

The Prime Minister used to be in the habit of saying no deal would be better than a bad deal. But this was always just a poor attempt at a bluff that no one — particularly the EU — ever believed. The truth is that no government that purports to stand up for the national interest would ever allow our country to leave the EU with no deal, given the huge economic and human cost that would be inflicted.

And no prime minister worth their salt would want this to happen on their watch — especially when it could be so easily avoided.

So if May refuses to take this precautionary step of withdrawing Article 50 after the vote in Parliament next week, she risks having to explain to future generations why the Government of the day knowingly put our economy, our prosperity and our place on the world stage in such grave peril.

The Government has already been deemed to be in contempt of Parliament this week — the first time this has happened in the history of our democracy. But if it doesn’t start laying the groundwork now to withdraw Article 50 — so that it’s fully prepared for what happens when Parliament votes down the Prime Minister’s bad Brexit deal — it will no doubt be held in contempt for many years to come by Londoners and the whole country.