A “Cabinet minister for no deal” is to be appointed by Theresa May as part of the reshuffle of her top team which begins on Monday, the Telegraph can reveal.

The new minister is likely to be based in the Department for Exiting the European Union alongside David Davis, the Brexit Secretary, to provide regular updates on preparations for leaving the EU without a trade deal. They would attend Cabinet and control a significant budget, but would not be a Secretary of State.

The appointment will be seen as an attempt by the Prime Minister to demonstrate to her EU counterparts and to Brexiteers that Britain is serious about leaving the EU without a deal if talks fail.

Mrs May has been putting the finishing touches to her first major reshuffle, which will promote more women and Tories from a black and minority ethnic background.

Cabinet ministers in the “big four” roles – Philip Hammond, the Chancellor, Amber Rudd, the Home Secretary, Boris Johnson, the Foreign Secretary and Gavin Williamson, the Defence Secretary – will remain in their posts.

But half a dozen other Cabinet ministers are expected to be sacked or moved, allowing the newly-constituted Cabinet to meet for the first time in 10 Downing Street on Tuesday morning.