The real reason Brussels wants to reject Theresa May’s Brexit plan – it will save UK businesses billions

revealed that four officials who attended at the meeting said the Commission offered a “very negative assessment of the Chequers proposal”.

Their report said: “Barnier's team were adamant that if Britain formally put forward the plan then it should boycott the talks altogether, according to two officials.”

The leaks further the likelihood the UK will not end up with an agreement with the EU, and comes as Brussels’ secret plans for a “no deal” Brexit were revealed by The Sun.

An insider said they are “very similar” to Britain’s preparations that seek to make our departure as smooth as possible.

It blows apart its bluff and bluster threats of treating the UK like any other non-EU country if we leave without a deal – designed to bully Mrs May into accepting a soft Brexit.

A source in the European Commission said in reality its contingency plans mirror Britain’s plan to smooth the divorce by continuing to recognise each other’s standards for a limited period and keeping the borders open to all but high-risk goods.

And today the PM insisted a “no deal” Brexit would "not be the end of the world", as she dismissed Philip Hammond's doomsday warnings as "a work in progress."

Speaking as she arrived in South Africa for a trade visit, she said it was important to let Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab unveil the Government's contingency plans for exiting the bloc without a trade deal in place.

Her words came after the Chancellor was accused of attempting to derail the planning through scaremongering after publishing a doom-laden warning we would face an £80billion hike in borrowing in a no deal scenario.