“If we couldn’t get an agreement and we were basically stuck in a situation where it was a deal we don’t want or the cliff edge, I think if we reach that point I don’t think as Parliament we could just stand back and watch the country fall off the edge of a cliff without asking the people whether that was a step they wanted to take… some mechanism of consulting the people – be it a general election or a second referendum.”

Number 10 might see this as a somewhat useful intervention from uber-Remainer Collins, scaring eurosceptics into backing May’s deal as the only way to avoid a mechanism to stop Brexit. On the other hand this is yet another big voice against the draft withdrawal agreement. Does anyone outside of Government at all support it..?