Andrea Leadsom and Amber Rudd float alternative ‘Plan B’ Brexit options to PM’s deal

Cabinet members Amber Rudd and Andrea Leadsom have set out their alternative Brexit options as the Prime Minister continues to struggle to make her case for her Brexit deal.

Work and pensions secretary Rudd told ITV last night that a second referendum was a "plausible" way forward if MPs could not reach a consensus.

Rudd added to the voices of other MPs such as international trade secretary Liam Fox in backing indicative votes on "Plan B" options if the House of Commons rejects May's deal. 

“I don’t want a people’s vote, or a referendum in general, but if parliament absolutely failed to reach a consensus, I could see there would be a plausible argument for it.

"It would flush out where… the majority is," she said. "So people who hold on to the idea of one option or another would see there is no majority and so they will need to move to their next preference."

Leadsom, who voted for Brexit, said a new referendum would be "unacceptable" and argued for a "managed no deal" – a concept that EU parliament member Guy Verhofstadt said did not exist.

"A managed no deal does not necessarily mean there is no withdrawal agreement at all," she said.

"What I am looking at is trying to find an alternative so that in the event that we cannot agree to this deal that there could be a further deal that looks at a more minimalist approach but enables us to leave with some kind of implementation period.

"That avoids a cliff edge, that avoids uncertainty for businesses and travellers and so on," she told the BBC this morning.

Last week the government postponed its vote on May's Brexit deal after it became clear it was overwhelming likely to be voted down by MPs.

Earlier this week the government announced it was ramping up its preparations for leaving the EU without a deal, and had put aside £2bn to carrying out the planning.

Around 160, 000 firms are to receive advice on how to prepare for no deal, while 3,500 troops have been placed on standby to help with any "contingencies".

The new vote on the Brexit deal will be held from the week beginning 14 January.