Foreign secretary Jeremy Hunt believes a version of Theresa May’s deal can get through parliament

Foreign secretary Jeremy Hunt believes that parliament could still back Theresa May's deal if the European Union provide assurances on it, but warned a no deal was still on the table. 

May pulled out of a vote on her Brexit deal at the start of the week, fearing a heavy defeat amid concerns over the "backstop" policy. 

But Hunt says a version of May's deal could still get through the House of Commons. 

“When the dust has settled, the only way we’re going to get this through the House of Commons … is to have a version of the deal that the government has negotiated,” Hunt told BBC radio on Saturday.

On Friday, May said that the EU could give guarantees that the backstop would be temporary, but EU leaders have insisted that the deal is not up for renegotiation. 

However, Hunt believes they may have to, with the risk of a no deal too damaging for both sides.

“The EU cannot be sure that if they choose not to be helpful and flexible … that we would not end up with no deal,” Hunt said. “We cannot in these negotiations take no deal off the table. I don’t think the EU could be remotely sure that if we don’t find a way through this we wouldn’t end up with no deal.”