THE EU is willing to offer a Brexit delay until the summer, officials in Brussels have suggested, as Theresa May today delivers an eleventh-hour rallying cry to MPs to back her beleaguered Brexit plan.

This morning, Jean-Claude Juncker, the European Commission President, is due to set out “further assurances” to the UK over the Irish backstop, yet most MPs believe it will not be enough to help get the Prime Minister’s proposal over the line in tomorrow evening’s Commons vote.

However, one EU official said: “Should the Prime Minister survive and inform us that she needs more time to win round Parliament to a deal, a technical extension up to July will be offered.”

With less than 48 hours to go before MPs have their rescheduled meaningful vote, Mrs May will warn that Parliament is more likely to block Brexit entirely than allow Britain to crash out of the EU without a deal.

Speaking in Stoke, which voted heavily to leave the EU, she will warn that failing to deliver the mandate of the 2016 referendum vote would do “catastrophic harm” to Britain’s democracy.

In an impassioned speech, the PM will say: “Imagine if an anti-devolution House of Commons had said to the people of Scotland or Wales that, despite voting in favour of a devolved legislature, Parliament knew better and would over-rule them, or else force them to vote again.

“What if we found ourselves in a situation where Parliament tried to take the UK out of the EU in opposition to a Remain vote?

“People’s faith in the democratic process and their politicians would suffer catastrophic harm.”

Mrs May will also declare: “We all have a duty to implement the result of the referendum.”

Her warning comes as Downing Street said it was "extremely concerned" about a supposed “plot” by MPs to change Commons rules to enable backbench motions to take precedence over Government business if Mrs May's deal fell.

The supposed conspiracy was overheard by Julian Smith, the Chief Whip, in the MPs’ cloakroom last week.

One senior Government source branded the move “a very British coup”, as it would mean UK ministers would not be in control of parliamentary business as they historically have been.

It emerged John Bercow, the Commons Speaker, met Tory Remain rebel Dominic Grieve on Tuesday – the day before his controversial decision to allow MPs a vote on the former Attorney General's amendment to the timetable of the Brexit deal.

A source close to Mr Bercow was quoted as saying: “He is setting out to stop Brexit. He’s part of the rebel team.”

A spokeswoman for the Speaker admitted Mr Bercow had met Mr Grieve last Tuesday but stressed: “We have no knowledge of backbench rule changes.”

It was suggested Tory whips were sharing details of the so-called plot with leading Brexiteers to persuade them to support the PM’s plan and save Brexit.

Chris Grayling, the Transport Secretary, said any such move to change parliamentary procedure would be a “huge mistake”.

Meanwhile, David Mundell, the Scottish Secretary, urged colleagues to back Mrs May’s plan, claiming there was no "lengthy wish-list of fanciful Brexit options", but only the alternatives of no-deal and no Brexit.

Four Brexiteer backbenchers, including veteran Sir Edward Leigh, who was appointed to the Privy Council last month, announced they would back the PM's deal, despite speculation they could vote against it.

In other developments:

*Jeremy Corbyn, the Labour leader, made clear he intended to table a no-confidence motion in the UK Government “soon” after the PM’s plan was defeated

*First Minister Nicola Sturgeon is expected to make her own announcement on the back of MPs rejecting Mrs May’s Brexit proposal regarding a second independence referendum

*Ian Blackford, who leads the SNP at Westminster, repeated his call for an extension to Article 50 and a People’s Vote, and warned: “If the Tory Government is intent on driving the UK off the Brexit cliff-edge, then Scotland cannot – and will not – be in the passenger seat”

*a cross-party group of MPs today will publish legislation to bring about a People’s Vote in 2019

*Nick Boles, the former Skills Minister, who backs Norway Plus, accused UK ministers of a “gross dereliction of responsibility” for not engaging with opposition MPs more to seek a compromise deal

*Sir John Major, the former premier, called on Mrs May to revoke Article 50 to halt Brexit, as he warned it would be "morally reprehensible" to crash out of the EU without a deal

*some 14 military planners have been deployed to four key Whitehall departments to assist with no-deal planning

*more than 100 MEPs from 26 EU member states have signed a letter calling on the UK to "reconsider" its Brexit decision, saying the UK's departure will "weaken all of us"

*Economists for Free Trade, backed by Brexiteers Jacob Rees-Mogg and Iain Duncan Smith, said that although Brexit with a free trade agreement with the EU would be the best possible outcome, with time running out, a departure on World Trade Organisation terms was now the “best solution to the Brexit impasse”