London -

The EU is preparing to charge Britain billions of pounds and impose a number of other punitive conditions as its price for agreeing a Brexit delay if Theresa May is forced to ask for an extension.

Member states are “hardening” their attitudes towards a delay and will demand “legal and financial conditions” including a multi-billion pound increase to the pounds 39 billion divorce payment, The Daily Telegraph has learnt.

EU sources suggested last night that the only way for Mrs May to win the vote was if she found her “inner Churchill” and reached out across the political divide for cross-party support.

The Prime Minister faces a possible no-confidence vote tabled by Labour if she loses heavily Tuesday, and a leadership challenge as Tory MPs warn her position would become increasingly untenable if she lost control of Brexit.