Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May speaks at the Royal Free Hospital, London June 18, 2018. Stefan Rousseau/Pool via Reuters

LONDON (Reuters) - A leading pro-European Union lawmaker in Britain’s ruling Conservative Party said he did not want the government to collapse in the row over parliament’s role in the Brexit process.

Dominic Grieve has clashed with the government over the final wording of the legislation that will end Britain’s membership of the European Union in a move that is testing Prime Minister Theresa May’s ability to lead a minority government.

“It has been suggested that I want to collapse the government - I don’t,” Grieve told BBC Radio.

He said he did not want Britain to leave the EU without a deal but that the government had to be prepared for that outcome. “If we have no deal at the end it is a very serious crisis,” he said.