David Davis was in open rebellion against Theresa May on Wednesday night over fears that Britain may be tied to the European Union indefinitely after Brexit.

The Brexit Secretary is refusing to be the front man for the Prime Minister’s plans for a customs “backstop” to avoid a hard Irish border beyond the end of the transition period in 2021.

On Wednesday he was locked in a furious public row with the Prime Minister over the backstop, which will tie Britain to the customs union beyond 2021 if no resolution to the Irish border issue can be found before the end of the transition period.

It was claimed that Mr Davis was so incensed by Mrs May's decision to reject his concerns that he was considering resigning.

He later clarified that he would not stand down, but his allies said he had been treated "appallingly" and that Mrs May had lost goodwill with Eurosceptics and "stored up trouble for the future".

Eurosceptics in the Cabinet feel that they have been "bounced" into accepting the backstop. Boris Johnson, the Foreign Secretary, and Michael Gove, the Environment Secretary, also have significant concerns about the backstop.