Annunziata Rees-Mogg has refused to confirm whether her party would run candidates against Conservative MPs should an early election be called.

But the Brexit Party MEP said it made sense to avoid putting “two very strong leavers” against each other in the same seat.

“If the remain alliance as they did in Wales [at the Brecon & Radnorshire by-election] are going to unite, then the only option that’s fair to give to the British people is the equivalent on the leave side,” she told talkRADIO’s Julia Hartley-Brewer.

Ms Rees-Mogg said it remained unclear whether the Conservatives would push for a deal with the EU, which “wouldn’t be acceptable” to the Brexit Party, who are backing a no deal exit.

“The public need to have real democracy and just saying ‘we won’t stand, oh the Tories are alright’ without knowing, we don’t know at the moment what kind of deal they’re going for,” she said.

She said the “only option” to stop the parliamentary impasse on Brexit was a general election and she trusted the British people to make the right decision.

“I think the public should always be trusted and if they decide on another hung Parliament overall then that is what will have to be dealt with at that point, but that’s not a reason not to do it.

“Time and again the British people have made the right call and I think they will make the right call this time.”

She also said she spoke “fleetingly” to her brother Jacob about his relaxed pose in the House of Commons on Tuesday, but she “wouldn’t dare of telling him what to do”.

A video of Mr Rees-Mogg reclining on the front bench during a critical Brexit debate was widely mocked online, and Green MP Caroline Lucas called it “contemptuous”.

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