'A real Brexit revolt' under way in UK, European parliament's Guy Verhofstadt says

Belgian MEP highlights five-million-strong petition calling for Britain to revoke article 50

The European parliament’s top Brexit official has said “a real Brexit revolt” is under way in the United Kingdom.

Guy Verhofstadt highlighted an online petition signed by more than five million people to revoke Britain’s decision to leave the EU, as well as a protest which saw more than a million take to the streets in London over the weekend to demand a public vote on Theresa May’s deal.

“I think that we see for the moment [is] a real Brexit revolt by the people in Britain,” the Belgian MEP said on Tuesday.

He added he was “very pleased” by the Commons vote on Monday in which MPs took more control over the Brexit process, and set up a series of further votes this week which could dramatically alter the course of the UK’s departure.

“It is possible now to work in Britain towards a cross-party alliance,” Mr Verhofstadt said, adding: “I hope it will lead to a proposal that can be backed by a majority [in Westminster].”

Philippe Lamberts, a member of the European parliament’s Brexit steering group, said Ms May had been unable to establish “bonds of trust” with other European leaders and within the British parliament.

“It is for the British government to make up its mind what the alternative strategy is knowing full well that the strategy of running down the clock and scaring people into voting for the withdrawal agreement has failed,” he said.

“Theresa May might be tempted to play [a] scorched-earth policy and say, ‘Well, whatever the parliament does ... I won’t do it.’”

After resigning from his ministerial position on Monday, Steve Brine suggested that both revoking Article 50 and a second referendum are “on the table”.

Mr Brine, a former health minister, also hinted he believed the vote against Ms May on Monday – paving the way for “indicative” Brexit votes – could persuade Brexiteer Conservatives fearing a softer exit from the bloc to back the prime minister’s Brexit deal.

Speaking to the BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, he warned: “Anything from here, as far as they are concerned, gets softer in terms of Brexit.”

Mr Brine continued: “If the House of Commons just simply cannot come up with anything to move us out of this then everything is on the table.

“You have to accept that a second referendum or revoking Article 50 are on the table because they will probably be some options.”

But Jacob Rees-Mogg, a leading Brexiteer and chair of the influential European Research Group, boosted Ms May’s hopes of ramming her deal through parliament after he signalled he may now support it.

Speaking on his ConservativeHome podcast, Mr Rees-Mogg said: ”The prime minister will not deliver a no-deal Brexit.”

Asked if that meant the options were now Ms May’s deal or potentially no Brexit, he said: “That I think, becomes the choice eventually.

“Whether we are there yet is another matter, but I have always thought that no-deal is better than Ms May’s deal, but Ms May’s deal is better than not leaving at all.”

Additional reporting by agencies