MPs will make a fresh attempt to compel Theresa May to delay Brexit further by passing legislation in a single day, a cross-party alliance has announced.

A bill – designed to clear the Commons on Wednesday – would prevent a “drift into no deal by accident in just 10 days’ time”, its supporters say.

The move will delay a further round of “indicative votes”, following the failure to reach a consensus on Monday night, which raised the threat of a crash-out Brexit.

The bill has been drawn up by senior Conservative Oliver Letwin and Labour’s Yvette Cooper, to force Ms May to seek a longer extension to Article 50 past the new departure day of 12 April.

Crucially, it would force the UK to take part in next month’s European parliament elections – which the prime minister is desperate to avoid and which would enrage Brexiteer Tories.

Ms Cooper MP said: “We are now in a really dangerous situation with a serious and growing risk of no deal in 10 days’ time.

Put It To The People march: Best of The Independent’s pictures Show all 24 1 /24 Put It To The People march: Best of The Independent’s pictures Put It To The People march: Best of The Independent’s pictures Put It To The People protest 23 March 2019 Angela Christofilou/The Independent Angela Christofilou/The Independent Put It To The People march: Best of The Independent’s pictures Put It To The People protest 23 March 2019 Angela Christofilou/The Independent Angela Christofilou/The Independent Put It To The People march: Best of The Independent’s pictures Put It To The People protest 23 March 2019 Angela Christofilou/The Independent Angela Christofilou/The Independent Put It To The People march: Best of The Independent’s pictures Put It To The People protest 23 March 2019 Angela Christofilou/The Independent Angela Christofilou/The Independent Put It To The People march: Best of The Independent’s pictures Put It To The People protest 23 March 2019 Angela Christofilou/The Independent Angela Christofilou/The Independent Put It To The People march: Best of The Independent’s pictures Put It To The People protest 23 March 2019 Angela Christofilou/The Independent Angela Christofilou/The Independent Put It To The People march: Best of The Independent’s pictures Put It To The People protest 23 March 2019 Angela Christofilou/The Independent Angela Christofilou/The Independent Put It To The People march: Best of The Independent’s pictures Put It To The People protest 23 March 2019 Angela Christofilou/The Independent Angela Christofilou/The Independent Put It To The People march: Best of The Independent’s pictures Put It To The People protest 23 March 2019 Angela Christofilou/The Independent Angela Christofilou/The Independent Put It To The People march: Best of The Independent’s pictures Put It To The People protest 23 March 2019 Angela Christofilou/The Independent Angela Christofilou/The Independent Put It To The People march: Best of The Independent’s pictures Put It To The People protest 23 March 2019 Angela Christofilou/The Independent Angela Christofilou/The Independent Put It To The People march: Best of The Independent’s pictures Put It To The People protest 23 March 2019 Angela Christofilou/The Independent Angela Christofilou/The Independent Put It To The People march: Best of The Independent’s pictures Put It To The People protest 23 March 2019 Angela Christofilou/The Independent Angela Christofilou/The Independent Put It To The People march: Best of The Independent’s pictures Put It To The People protest 23 March 2019 Angela Christofilou/The Independent Angela Christofilou/The Independent Put It To The People march: Best of The Independent’s pictures Put It To The People protest 23 March 2019 Angela Christofilou/The Independent Angela Christofilou/The Independent Put It To The People march: Best of The Independent’s pictures Put It To The People protest 23 March 2019 Angela Christofilou/The Independent Angela Christofilou/The Independent Put It To The People march: Best of The Independent’s pictures Put It To The People protest 23 March 2019 Angela Christofilou/The Independent Angela Christofilou/The Independent Put It To The People march: Best of The Independent’s pictures Put It To The People protest 23 March 2019 Angela Christofilou/The Independent Angela Christofilou/The Independent Put It To The People march: Best of The Independent’s pictures Put It To The People protest 23 March 2019 Angela Christofilou/The Independent Angela Christofilou/The Independent Put It To The People march: Best of The Independent’s pictures Put It To The People protest 23 March 2019 Angela Christofilou/The Independent Angela Christofilou/The Independent Put It To The People march: Best of The Independent’s pictures Put It To The People protest 23 March 2019 Angela Christofilou/The Independent Angela Christofilou/The Independent Put It To The People march: Best of The Independent’s pictures Put It To The People protest 23 March 2019 Angela Christofilou/The Independent Angela Christofilou/The Independent Put It To The People march: Best of The Independent’s pictures Put It To The People protest 23 March 2019 Angela Christofilou/The Independent Angela Christofilou/The Independent Put It To The People march: Best of The Independent’s pictures Put It To The People protest 23 March 2019 Angela Christofilou/The Independent Angela Christofilou/The Independent

“Parliament has tried to jam into two days a process of finding consensus that I wish the prime minister had started two years ago. But right now nothing has been agreed.”

And Mr Letwin said: “This is a last-ditch attempt to prevent our country being exposed to the risks inherent in a no-deal exit. We realise this is difficult. But it is definitely worth trying.”

The plan is to commandeer the Commons agenda, with MPs first passing a motion on Wednesday and then attempting to pass the legislation by 10pm.

It would then move on to the House of Lords on Friday or next Monday, when the UK will be just days from leaving the EU with no agreement on Friday next week.

Originally Mr Letwin and Ms Cooper said the legislation would be debated on Thursday, possibly preventing the prime minister staging a further meaningful vote on that day, but have now brought that forward to Wednesday.

The two MPs said they were not trying to stamp on further attempts for the Commons to agree an alternative Brexit plan – but argued that vetoing a no deal must take priority.

That would have “catastrophic consequences for manufacturing industry, food prices, medicine supplies, policing and national security”, a view apparently confirmed by Britain’s top civil servant.

As last time, when the prime minister secured a delay beyond the original Brexit day of 29 March, the government would propose the length of the extension being sought. MPs would debate and vote on it.

Ms Cooper added: “She needs to put forward a proposal, including saying how long an extension she thinks we need to sort things out.

“If the government won’t act urgently, then parliament has a responsibility to try to ensure that happens, even though we are right up against the deadline.”

The move risks cutting the chances of the EU granting an extension – because it delays the next chance for MPs to coalesce around a rival Brexit plan to justify it.