No-deal Brexit: Tory MP Guto Bebb may back no confidence over no-deal Brexit

An anti-Brexit Conservative MP has given his clearest indication yet that he would be willing to vote to bring down the government to stop the UK from leaving the EU without a deal.

Guto Bebb said the next prime minister had to understand "he doesn't have the numbers" in the Commons.

The former minister announced last week that he was standing down at the next election.

Mr Bebb said he was unhappy with the direction of the Conservative Party.

The sitting prime minister, Theresa May, had repeatedly tried to pass a Brexit deal in the House of Commons, to no success.

Discussing the issue of a no confidence vote on Sky News, Mr Bebb said: "If I have to do something of that nature to stop the destruction of communities in my constituency then it might have to come to that."

But he said it does not need to come to that position "if we have some of these cabinet ministers who are clear in their opposition to no deal".

"If they're willing to say publicly that they would also be willing to take such a step then the prime minister would not even think about doing such a thing," he said.

Neither of the leadership contenders, Boris Johnson or Jeremy Hunt, have ruled out leaving without a deal.

Mr Bebb stressed that it was not something he relished but he had a clear warning to the new prime minister.

"Not a single Conservative MP, not even someone standing down such as myself, wants to vote [for] no confidence, but I think the new prime minister needs to understand he doesn't have the numbers in the house.

"My view is that a no-deal Brexit will be damaging to the economy... my farming community will be devastated by a no-deal Brexit.

"I was not elected to see a quarter of all the farmers in my constituency disappear."