WINCHESTER’S MP has signed a letter to the Prime Minister urging him to avoid a no-deal Brexit, it has been reported.

According to The Sun yesterday, former chancellor Philip Hammond and 20 other senior Conservative MPs have written to the PM to say his demands to abolish the backstop “set the bar so high that there is no realistic probability of a deal being done”.

The list of MPs is reported to have included Winchester MP Steve Brine, who quit his government role as a health and social care minister earlier this year over the direction of Brexit talks, Romsey MP Caroline Nokes, and former cabinet ministers David Lidington, David Gauke, Rory Stewart and Greg Clark.

News of the letter comes after Mr Hammond wrote in The Times on Wednesday, saying Mr Johnson would commit a betrayal of the referendum if he enacted a no-deal Brexit by listening to the “unelected” saboteurs “who pull the strings” of his Government.

Mr Hammond, who resigned in anticipation of Mr Johnson becoming Prime Minister, urged the Tory leader to take the UK out of the European Union with a deal in place.

But he said early signs for that “are not encouraging”, warning that demands to abolish the backstop had become a “wrecking” stance over a deal.

Mr Hammond said he was busting two “great myths” over a no-deal Brexit, arguing it will be damaging to the nation - both economically and to the union - and that voters do not back the move.

Mr Hammond also accused “some key figures in the Government” of “absurdly” suggesting no-deal would boost the UK’s economy.

However, a Government source accused Mr Hammond, who went on to deny the claim, of having done “everything he could to block preparations for leaving and undermined negotiations” when chancellor.

“We are leaving on October 31 and we will be ready to do so despite the former chancellor’s best efforts to the contrary,” the source added.

Meanwhile, Speaker John Bercow warned he “will fight with every breath in my body” any attempt by the PM to suspend Parliament to force through a no-deal against MPs’ wishes.

And work and pensions secretary Amber Rudd said she would urge Mr Johnson not to take that controversial move as part of his “do or die” commitment for Brexit by the October 31 deadline.

Mr Bercow told an audience at the Edinburgh Fringe festival that he “strongly” believes the House of Commons “must have its way. And if there is an attempt to circumvent, to bypass or - God forbid - to close down Parliament, that is anathema to me,” he said. “I will fight with every breath in my body to stop that happening.”

Ms Rudd warned that the Government must not work against MPs by proroguing Parliament.

“I will play my part in Cabinet and privately with the Prime Minister and with ministers in arguing strongly for respecting parliamentary sovereignty,” she told the BBC.

“And you know, I’m a Member of Parliament, the Prime Minister and all Cabinet members are Members of Parliament, we need to remember where our authority comes from.”

Meanwhile on Tuesday, Mr Johnson conceded he expects negotiating a post-Brexit trade deal with the US would be a “tough old haggle”.

The Chronicle contacted Mr Brine yesterday but he had not responded at the time of going to press.