Just four countries and one man want the UK to remain in the EU, says Labour MP

Charles Grant, director for the Centre for European Reform, argued that nobody knows what countries truly think as there has been no formal requirement to make public their position.

Mr Grant claimed French leader Emmanuel Macron was “isolated” in his “tactical” position at the last European council summit when he pushed for a short extension against the majority who backed Angela Merkel view that “if you give them a very long extension, Eurosceptics will think Brexit will never happen and vote” for the withdrawal agreement.

The Spanish backed Merkel’s position but he gathered they were “quite happy to see the UK leave”, Grant told MPs.