Remain is 12 points ahead of Leave in new poll of how Britons would vote in a second Brexit referendum after May's crushing defeat

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A majority of Britons now say they want to stay in the EU after Theresa May's Brexit plan suffered a massive defeat, a new poll published today has found.   

A YouGov survey asked 1,070 voters how they would vote in a second Brexit referendum if it were held today - and found Remain has stretched out a 12-point lead over Leave, with 56 per cent saying they would vote to stay in the EU versus 44 per cent in favour of leaving.

The voters were questioned the day after the PM's Brexit plan suffered a crushing defeat – leaving the machinery of government deadlocked and with the bitter divisions among MPs offering no clear way ahead. 

Ministers are now at war over Brexit, openly clashing over whether Britain should be willing to crash out without a deal on March 29, or back a softer Brexit or second referendum. 

The Prime Minister must make a statement on Monday where she will lay out her 'next steps' on a Brexit ‘plan B’ before a week of debate on the various options. 

The following week, MPs will vote on their preferred course of action, putting huge pressure on the Prime Minister to adopt it.

With Westminster gripped by chaos, the new poll suggests voters are losing faith in Brexit with growing numbers now backing Remain.   

A YouGov survey found that Remain has stretched out a 12-point lead over Leave - at 56 per cent versus 44 per cent

Theresa May's (pictured today leaving Downing Street) senior ministers are deeply split over what to do if her deal cannot be pushed through Parliament after Tuesday's 230-vote rout

The survey for The Times found that 56 per cent of those polled would now back staying in the EU, while the same proportion back a second referendum.

And voters were even more likely to want to stay in the bloc if the only other option was the PM's Brexit deal, with Remain leading by 65 per cent to 35 per cent. 

Mrs May's blueprint was defeated by a massive 230 votes on Tuesday night - the biggest defeat ever inflicted on a British PM.  

The poll found that among Labour supporters support for a second referendum was far higher - at 78 per cent.

The figure lays bare the bitter spits within Labour over Brexit - with Jeremy Corbyn under huge pressure from his Remain-backing MPs to back a new referendum but hugely resistant to the move fearing that Leave voters in the Labour heartlands will desert his party. 

The survey also found that 46 per cent of those asked think the economy will suffer from Brexit, while just 24 per cent think it will get stronger. 

Labour MP Chuka Umunna, a leading supporter of the campaign to have a  second referendum, told The Times:  'This snap poll shows more than ever why the government needs to change course and hand this decision on Brexit back to the people. 

'There is now a clear and expanding majority for staying in the EU.' 

Meanwhile, the Cabinet war over no-deal escalated today as ministers openly clashed over Britain's future with Europe. 

Penny Mordaunt, International Development Secretary and a leading Brexiteer, went public saying the UK should crash out rather than accept a bad deal in a post on Twitter.

But an hour later Amber Rudd, Work and Pensions Secretary and a Remainer, hit back by tweeting a warning by the CBI about the impact a no-deal Brexit will have on business.  

Ms Mordaunt - a Brexiteer - went public in defence of crashing out of the EU - arguing it is better than accepting a bad deal.

She tweeted: 'The upsides of leaving outweigh the downsides of staying/No Deal disruption. 

'It's only when no deal is better than a is believed by the EU that we’ll maximise our chance of a deal.

Brexit Secretary Stephen Barclay (left) and Environment Secretary Michael Gove were among those attending meetings in Downing Street today 

Boris Johnson (pictured today speaking at JCB in Staffordshire) condemned Theresa May for failing to even try and remove the Irish border backstop today as he made a pitch for the Tory crown

'Not honouring the result of the referendum would be appalling.' 

But Ms Rudd tweeted a link to a CBI warning that a no-deal Brexit is 'unimaginable' - with the comment 'worth remembering'.

In the tweet, the business group  states: 'Businesses are deeply concerned that we have moved a few steps closer to no-deal. 

'The UK is not – and cannot be - ready for no deal. 

'While there are ways to temper some of the worst aspects, business is united in saying no deal is unmanageable' 

Other ministers - including Business Secretary Greg Clark and Justice Secretary David Gauke - have warned no deal is so bad they would resign to stop it.

The splits come as Mrs May has been holding meetings with many of her Cabinet ministers in No10 today.

The PM and her ministers discussed Brexit and how they can come up with a Plan B in the next few days.

It comes after Mrs May spent the past 36 hours holding talks with rival political leaders to try to come up with a new plan which will win the support of the majority of the Commons.

As she tries to carve a way through the deadlock, the PM also held calls with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Dutch PM Mark Rutte last night.

Her spokeswoman said the call with Mrs Merkel was 'constructive' and the PM is expected to hold further calls with EU leaders in the coming days. 

But as the PM scrambles to try to come up with a Brexit Plan B which she thinks can win the backing of bitterly divided MPs, Mr Johnson was making a rival pitch for the Tory leadership.

The ex cabinet minister delivered a major speech while at a JCB factory in Staffordshire today, where he tore into the PM's over the negotiations.

He said after Tuesday's devastating defeat, the Prime Minister should make a 'final offer' to the EU of a deal that strips out the border plan and withholds half the £39billion divorce bill until a trade deal is finalised.

Mr Johnson said he would be 'utterly amazed' if Brussels said no but insisted Britain would flourish even if it had to leave without a deal on March 29.

Mr Johnson insisted delaying exit day would further 'erode trust' in politics and fuel suspicion of an 'elite conspiracy to thwart Brexit'. 

In a thinly-veiled leadership pitch, Mr Johnson's wide-ranging speech - hosted by major Tory donor JCB boss Anthony Bamford - included promises to cut taxes and limit immigration.

Mr Johnson is seen by many as a front runner for the Tory crown - but is also loathed by many Tory MPs who dismissed his pitch for unity today. 

Speaking today, he said: 'I believe that there is a very good chance, indeed overwhelmingly likely, that we will leave with a deal – we just won’t leave with this deal.'

He added: 'If we mean it, if we are determined, and if we make it clear that this is our best and final offer, I would be utterly amazed if we cannot get agreement on these terms.'  

Insisting Britain would succeed under no deal, he said: 'I don’t want to pretend there will be no challenges and no changes to cope with. 

'Of course there will be. But I say to all those who believe in the democratic freedoms of this country

'We are more than up to it. We have got so far, we are almost there, let us not give up now.' 

But as Mr Johnson said there is nothing to fear from a no-deal Brexit, other Tory MPs are plotting to do everything they can to prevent one.  

Tory MP Nick Boles has teamed up with Labour's Yvette Cooper to draw up a Bill to delay Brexit by extending Article 50 by nine months. 

Mr Boles believes the delay will effectively kill off the danger of a no-deal Brexit.

If it passes, the Bill would force the Government to delay exit day if there is no deal in place by March 5. 

But the development of the plan on the Labour benches after it was originally a Tory idea will fuel fears in Downing Street a cross-party alliance wants to remove the Government from talks.

While Remainer MPs across the political divide are expected to table a series of amendments to try to push a softer Brexit - or derail it altogether.

They could table amendments which would call for the UK to stay in a customs union with the EU, and to call for another vote to try to stop Brexit altogether.