What is really going on in politics? Get our daily email briefing straight to your inbox Sign up Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Invalid Email

David Cameron today admitted he has a contingency plan in place for if Britain votes to leave the EU on Thursday.

During a special edition of Question Time , the Prime Minister seemed to suggest that he had been working on his worst case scenarios for the outcome of the crunch referendum poll.

Asked by an audience member why he would allow a referendum to take place if one outcome would be such a disaster, he said: "I think some questions are so big that it's right that they're answered by the people and not by the politicians.

(Image: BBC) (Image: BBC)

"Frankly, we've been having an argument in our country about Europe for the past 20 years. Also since we last had a vote there have been quite a lot of changes to Europe, and I don't think we should be frightened of, in a democracy, the people making a decision. And I'll accept that decision whatever that is."

He went on to say he believes the decision to leave would be irreversible. Britain, if it wanted to rejoin, would have to enter the single currency and the no-borders zone - "so I see no prospect of rejoining. This is a final decision."

(Image: BBC)

"So have you got contingency plans if it happens to be Brexit ?" he was asked.

He replied: "Yes, of course. What we'd have to do is then work out the right way for Britain to succeed in the future, but I'm saying to you very clearly, I think that is the worst of the two options."

Early last month, a Downing Street spokesperson told journalists: "The government has a position which is that we should vote to remain and we are not contingency planning."

Asked if there was no planning whatsoever, he said: "That is the government's position yes."

But just days later, George Osborne told a committee of MPs that contingency planning was under way at the Treasury.