There is no such thing as an accidental no-deal Brexit – crashing out would be the fault of May and Rees-Mogg

Labelling it ‘accidental’ makes it easier for them to attempt to wriggle out of being called to account when people start demanding answers and the inevitable public inquiry is convened

Amid all the brouhaha over parliament “taking back control” of Brexit from an out-of-control prime minister, one thing remains constant: no deal remains the default conclusion to the process at the end of the recent extension to Article 50 – unless and until it’s formally replaced by something else.

This has led to talk of it potentially happening by “accident”, as a result of a misunderstanding, or of one side misreading the politics of the other.

The BBC used the term during a discussion of an amendment tabled by Labour’s Margaret Beckett aiming to make it less likely, which was narrowly voted down last night. Others have too, on repeated occasions.

This needs to end. If a no deal happens – and bookmaker Paddy Power currently puts the odds of it at 12-5, implying a probability of 29.4 per cent – it will be no accident. Rather it will come about as a result of a calculated and deliberate choice, or rather, a calculated and deliberate series of choices.

We are at this juncture today because of them, and the reckless disregard for the lives and livelihoods of the British people displayed by Theresa May, who has repeatedly put party, and her political vanity, before country throughout this miserable process.

Her strategy has been to run down the clock as a means of blackmailing MPs into backing her dismal Brexit deal. Her cabinet has largely colluded in this process, although the motivations for doing so of, say, a Liam Fox and a Greg Clark could scarcely be more different.

The machinations of the European Research Group (ERG), to whom May has repeatedly kowtowed, have helped the process along. Motivated by a mixture of ideological puritanism and the vandal’s desire to break things, no deal has become their holy grail and that of the hard right-wing newspapers that serve as their cheerleaders.

Their stringing the prime minister along, before flipping her off whenever it suits them, is also part of a deliberate strategy. So is their making enemies of Britain’s allies on the continent. The likes of Jeremy Hunt have stirred the pot with some frankly offensive statements, such as his likening the EU to Soviet Russia.

The clock was only reset at two minutes to midnight because the EU’s leaders have proven to be a lot more grown-up than Britain’s are. But there may come a time when they get fed up with us and cast a plague upon our house. Be honest now, wouldn’t we feel like doing that if Europe had talked about us like that?

But were it to happen, it would be no accident.

It is no exaggeration to say that a no-deal Brexit risks people’s lives – those with severe and/or chronic medical conditions, for example. It will cost billions of pounds and tens of thousands of people their jobs.

May, her cabinet, the Tory no-deal extremists, the mini-mes in Labour’s junior ERG, their shills and their allies, will all bear part of the responsibility.

The problem with referring to an “accidental no deal” is that it makes it easier for them to attempt to wriggle out of being called to account when people start demanding answers and the inevitable public inquiry is convened (the civil service is apparently preparing for one).

In his letter of resignation as business minister, Richard Harrington accused Theresa May’s government of “playing roulette with the lives and livelihoods of the vast majority of people in this country”.

He was right to say so. She and her colleagues have indulged in a quite disgraceful display, unlike anything this country has witnessed. I’ve watched that ancient game played in casinos, and had a go myself. It’s extraordinarily easy to accidentally lose tons of money – particularly if you’ve had a few and you aren’t paying attention.

But it only happens if you first make the clear and conscious choice to push your chips forward.