The government is "working on the assumption" the UK will leave the EU without a deal, Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove has revealed.
Mr Gove, who has been tasked by new PM Boris Johnson with boosting preparations for a no-deal Brexit, wrote in The Sunday Times that this scenario is now a "very real prospect".
He said he was hopeful the EU would be willing to renegotiate the withdrawal agreement it reached with Theresa May, "but we must operate on the assumption that they will not".
It comes as French MEP Nathalie Loiseau told Sophy Ridge On Sunday there was "nothing in between" Mrs May's withdrawal agreement and no-deal.
Mr Johnson has declared he will not accept the controversial Irish backstop contained within the current agreement – but Ms Loiseau said the EU would not ratify an agreement without it, adding: "You have changed your prime minister but we have not changed our minds.
Advertisement
"We do want to avoid a no-deal, and the agreement is on the table. Why create a crisis when there is a way out?
"The only way out is the agreement, or remaining in the EU. It is your choice to make, not ours.
More from Boris Johnson
"The agreement is a compromise, there are many concessions in it. We are protecting our citizens, peace on the island of Ireland. The agreement is not the devil, it's a reasonable compromise to move forward."
Mr Johnson has pledged to take the UK out of the European Union on 31 October, "no ifs, no buts".
But former chancellor Philip Hammond, who quit his role before Mr Johnson became prime minister, has reportedly held secret talks with Labour about how to stop a no-deal Brexit.
Mr Hammond is against the UK leaving the EU without a deal that would smooth over trading arrangements. He fears an economic shock and met shadow Brexit secretary Sir Keir Starmer shortly after he resigned from his Treasury post, The Observer said.
The newspaper said the pair agreed to work with other senior politicians including former Conservative minister Oliver Letwin to thrash out how best to use parliamentary votes to scupper a no-deal outcome.
Better news for Mr Johnson came by way of three polls suggesting the Conservatives' popularity was up since he took office on Wednesday.
A YouGov poll for The Sunday Times newspaper put the Tories on 31%, up six points on a previous poll, while Jeremy Corbyn's Labour Party was on 21%, a rise of two points.
It was the Conservatives' biggest lead over the opposition in five months and it was the first time their support has risen above 30% since April, the paper claimed.
The Liberal Democrats were down three points on 20% and the new Brexit Party, led by Nigel Farage, was down four points on 13%, half its peak level in May.
Meanwhile, a survey by Deltapoll for The Mail On Sunday showed support for the Tories was at 30%, five points ahead of Labour at 25%, with the Lib Dems on 18% and the Brexit Party on 14%.
But if Labour dropped Mr Corbyn as its leader, the poll said the party would go into the lead at 34%, with the Tories on 28%, the Brexit Party on 14% and the Lib Dems on 13%.
[contf]
[contfnew]
Sky News
[contfnewc]
[contfnewc]
