Shrewsbury MP Daniel Kawczynski appeals for Brexiteers to back May's plan

Mr Kawczynski, who had previously opposed the deal, was last night due to address the eurosceptic European Research Group, calling for members to vote for the agreement.

The Shrewsbury and Atcham MP, who is a member of the ERG, said the group's chairman Jacob Rees-Mogg had given him the go-ahead to put the case for the deal.

He said that while he still had real reservations about the deal, Brexiteers now needed to be realistic about what what the likely outcome would be if Mrs May's deal was not passed through the Commons.

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"I will be ask fellow members of the European Research Group to get behind the deal, or we will face something even less palatable, be that the permanent customs union, or the Norway option, or even another referendum," said Mr Kawczynski.

"The withdrawal agreement is the best of a bad bunch. All the other options are not Brexit as we know it."

He called on fellow eurosceptics, both in the Conservative Party and the DUP, to accept that there was now no chance of winning support for a no-deal scenario.

Mr Kawczynski said he also had concerns that a no-deal outcome would disrupt the economy.

He declined to comment on speculation about Theresa May's future as Prime Minister, saying the focus needed to be on the policy rather than the personalities behind it.

"Whether or not she continues as Prime Minister is something that will be decided between her and the parliamentary party.

"Some people want a different leader to take us through the next round of negotiations, but the first focus should be getting this deal across the finish line.

"I think you will find that is what the people of Shrewsbury are overwhelmingly in favour of dealing with this issue and moving onto the next round of negotiations. Shrewsbury businesses want to get this sorted, and Shropshire farmers want to get this started."

Telford MP Lucy Allan and The Wrekin's Mark Pritchard also pledged their loyalty to Mrs May following weekend reports of a coup against her.

Distraction

Ms Allan, who voted against Mrs May's deal on March 12 said: “Theresa May has been doing an impossible job in the most difficult of circumstances. The priority for all MPs must be to ensure Brexit is delivered. A leadership election would be a distraction.”

Mr Pritchard, who originally voted against the deal but then reluctantly voted in favour when it came before the Commons a second time, said the country did not need the distraction of a leadership contest.

"I will continue to support the Prime Minister in trying to get her withdrawal agreement through and deliver Brexit.

"My focus is on that, not all the distractions of leadership talk. This is not the time for more uncertainty."

Montgomeryshire MP Glyn Davies, who supports Mrs May's deal, called for compromise.

"I think 'no-deal' would be a mistake, but I don't think it would be as bad as is being portrayed," he said.

"There needs to be compromise, I think we all know we are facing a chaotic situation in Parliament, and setting up our own personal red lines isn't a very grown-up way forward."

Ludlow MP Philip Dunne said he was totally opposed to any plan to unseat Theresa May.

"I don't think the country would forgive the Conservative Party if it held a leadership contest in the last few days of these negotiations," he said.

He said it was in the balance whether Mrs May's deal could get through the Commons at the third attempt.

"There have been some positive signals, but things are moving so fast," said Mr Dunne.

"I hope to see Parliament resolving to deliver Brexit as soon as practicable, and the best way to do that with smooth and frictionless trade is to back the withdrawal agreement, which I intend to vote for it it comes before us again."

Harder to win round, though, will be North Shropshire MP Owen Paterson, who has repeatedly called for Britain to leave on March 29 on World Trade Organisation terms, and to then negotiate for a looser free-trade deal along the lines of that between the EU and Canada.

Mr Paterson was contacted for comment.