"The fact is the Withdrawal Agreement has rejected by Parliament three times and will not pass in its current form so – if the EU wants a deal – it needs to change its stance.”

Until then the spokesman said the Prime Minister's view remained unchanged, adding: “The UK will be leaving the EU on October 31, whatever the circumstances. There are no ifs or buts.”

It comes as sources close to Mr Johnson suggested he would still stay on as Prime Minister even if he lost a vote of no confidence, using his executive powers to delay a general election until after Brexit.

The Telegraph has learned that a backchannel between Downing Street and opposition backbenchers is being coordinated by the Labour MP John Mann, who was recently appointed the government’s adviser on anti-Semitism.

A source claimed Mr Mann, whose constituency voted by 68 percent leave is the “go between” with Number 10, and is in discussions with the major unions and other key figures. The MP for Bassetlaw’s constituency is set to benefit from £1.8 billion of extra NHS funding announced by Mr Johnson in Lincolnshire on Monday.

Although only a handful of Labour MPs were prepared to the Withdrawal Agreement, a senior backbencher has told this newspaper that between 20 and 30 are now ready to put their careers on the line to deliver Brexit should Mr Johnson “get any sort of movement” from Brussels.

They include a number of Remainers, who have concluded they must vote for a deal “just to take it off the agenda”.

The MP also claimed that the six Labour MPs who have announced they will not stand again at the next election had effectively become “free agents”, having been forced to step down amid fears of deselection by pro-Corbyn members.

Two independent MPs are understood to have confided in colleagues that they would not seek to bring down the government for fear of a dissolution of parliament would actually lead to a no deal Brexit.

One MP told the Daily Telegraph: “People shouldn’t automatically assume all remainers will vote to bring down the government.”