Preparations for a no-deal Brexit should be brought forward "at pace" if MPs do not back the prime minister's deal, the Brexit secretary has warned.

The comments are likely to reignite the debate about whether the government should be prepared to take the UK out of the European Union with no-deal if - as expected - MPs fail to back the withdrawal agreement when it returns to the House of Commons in June.

Stephen Barclay told Sophy Ridge on Sunday: "Members of Parliament do need to face facts, and if the deal were not to go through then there are only two alternatives - you either leave with a no-deal or you revoke.

Image: Mr Barclay made the comments near the border between Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic

"If parliament won't back a deal, I do think we need to bring forward our preparations to mitigate no-deal, because we will need to use the additional time we have, and we need to move at pace to do so."

The Brexit secretary was speaking on a visit to Quinn Industrial Holdings, a cement manufacturer with sites that straddle the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic.


Lorries and employees at the firm are estimated to make more than 900 border crossings every day.

Asked whether the government has taken preparations for no-deal seriously enough, Mr Barclay said: "We need to do more and use the additional time that we have to prepare further.

"There is no guarantee that the EU27 will grant an extension, that isn't a UK decision on 31 October, so we do need to prepare for a no deal and ensure that we use the time to prepare to mitigate any disruption as best we can."

'Choice for MPs to deliver Brexit or not'

Parliament has repeatedly blocked the prospect of a no-deal Brexit.

However, with the Brexit Party topping the polls ahead of the European elections and Conservative MPs jostling for position ahead of a leadership contest, some Eurosceptics believe no deal should be back on the table.

Discussions on a package of measures to be included in the Withdrawal Agreement Bill (WAB) to win over cross-party support will begin on Monday.

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Cabinet will then meet on Tuesday to consider plans for a series of "indicative votes" in the Commons which could command a majority in the House.

Theresa May has said she will make a "bold offer" to MPs to try and win support for her deal before its second reading vote in the first week of June.

Writing in the Sunday Times, she said: "I still believe there is a majority in Parliament to be won for leaving with a deal.

"When the Withdrawal Agreement Bill comes before MPs, it will represent a new, bold offer to MPs across the House of Commons, with an improved package of measures that I believe can win new support."

The measures are expected to include provisions of future customs arrangements with the EU, environmental protections, and on the Northern Ireland backstop - including the use of technology to avoid the need for border controls with the Republic.

It will not seek to reopen the Withdrawal Agreement, however, after the EU repeatedly made it clear that could not be renegotiated.

Theresa May to reveal departure date after final Brexit vote

Amid the ongoing Brexit impasse, Mrs May has promised to set out a timetable for her departure in the coming weeks.

This has sparked a frenzy of speculation about who could succeed her, with a number of Tories throwing their hat into the ring.

When asked four times if he would be one of them, Mr Barclay did not dismiss the prospect.

"The good thing about my job is I have so much to do that I don't need to be posing in kitchens and doing things," he said, adding that his focus was on "getting the deal over the line".

Former foreign secretary Boris Johnson has emerged as the front-runner among the Tory grassroots.

Asked if the Brexit campaigner would make a good leader, Mr Barclay replied: "All of my colleagues have talents. It will be for others to weigh up which of those takes primacy."