Whitehall bosses frantically drawing up plans for a snap election as Brexit clock ticks down to the wire

Civil servants have been ordered to immediately get ready for a fresh poll to break the Parliament deadlock, it was revealed last night.

Meetings have been taking place in case the fragile situation in Westminster leads to chaos, the Daily Mail revealed.

And Cabinet Secretary Sir Mark Sedwill has been meeting senior figures to thrash out the plans this week too, even though the next poll isn't set to take place until 2022.

The news comes just hours after No10 revealed they DO have plans for a second referendum, but they claim it would take a YEAR to hold another poll.

A document given to MPs during cross party talks yesterday torpedoed plans for a so-called People's Vote, saying that there just wasn't time to extend the uncertainty for millions of Brits and businesses.

The news came as the PM's chaotic week in Westminster showed no signs of ending:

  • Germany issued a love letter to Britain begging us to stay in the EU – as the country's foreign minister said the EU should chat about re-opening the withdrawal deal
  • Jeremy Corbyn warned he faces a wave of resignations if he backs a second referendum on Brexit
  • It was rumoured the DUP could get behind a customs union Brexit deal – as long as the whole of Britain was kept together
  • A minister insisted Theresa May WOULD be willing to break her promises on Brexit to try and seal a deal with MPs

But a Downing Street spokesperson this lunchtime said the PM was ruling out a snap general election.

Earlier this week the PM said that an early vote was "the worst thing we could do" but she did call a snap vote in 2017 without warning.

Cabinet ministers have held open talks about how an election could be the only way out of the Parliamentary deadlock over Brexit.

The PM will continue to talk to MPs and EU leaders over the weekend as she works out a plan to get her deal approved by Parliament.

But she's facing a revolt from her own Cabinet too – with reports yesterday that 20 ministers could quit unless she agreed to let Parliament decide what it wants to do.

And Labour boss Jeremy Corbyn is refusing to meet her unless she rules out No Deal – despite defending talking in the past to groups like the IRA and Hamas.

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