EUROPEAN parliamentary elections will go ahead in the UK on May 23, David Lidington, Theresa May’s de facto deputy, has confirmed.

The announcement comes after the UK Government decided there was not enough time left to complete the ratification of Brexit before that date.

This suggests that the cross-party talks, which resume this afternoon, are not expected to produce a breakthrough on a Brexit compromise today or, possibly, any time soon.

It is difficult to see how those negotiations between the Conservatives and Labour can continue while campaigning for the Euro poll goes on.

A ministerial statement on the progress or otherwise of the Con-Lab talks is expected this evening.

Speaking ahead of the cross-party talks, Mr Lidington said: "Parliament has had several occasions to vote on leaving the European Union.

"So far, every time there has been a majority against leaving with any particularly orderly deal, so we are engaged as a Government in talks with the Opposition, and with others across Parliament, to try and find a way forward that has maximum possible support amongst politicians of all political parties.

"But what this now means, given how little time there is, is that it is regrettably not going to be possible to finish that process before the date that is legally due for European Parliamentary elections.”

He went on: "We very much hoped that we would be able to get our exit sorted and have the treaty concluded so that those elections did not have to take place but, legally, they do have to take place unless our withdrawal has been given legal effect; so those will now go ahead.”

The Cabinet Office Minister said the Government would redouble its efforts in talks with MPs of all parties to try to make sure the delay after the European elections was as short as possible.

“Ideally,” declared Mr Lidington, “we'd like to be in a situation where those MEPs never actually have to take their seat at European Parliament, certainly to get this done and dusted by the summer recess.

"That will mean effort, hard work and compromise from different political parties, people from both the Leave side and the Remain side in the European debate. But that is what is in the national interest; deal with the outcome, respect the outcome of the referendum of 2016 and leave the European Union with a deal that protects jobs, investment and living standards in this country."

While the Government has maintained the line that Britain could still avoid the May 23 Euro poll in the hope of clinching a Brexit deal with Labour, David Mundell broke ranks more than a week ago when he told The Herald on Sunday that their taking place had become “inevitable”. He insisted: “We’ve run out of time.”

To enable newly-elected MEPs not to take their seats, the Government will have to come up with a deal and have the Withdrawal Agreement Bill through Parliament by June 30.

After the Tories’ disastrous showing in the English local elections, Mrs May’s party is expected to face an even more humiliating result in the May 23 Euro poll with Nigel Farage’s new Brexit Party tipped to be the victor.

With the PM facing increasing calls from within Tory ranks to name a date and resign – she is due to see Sir Graham Brady, Chairman of the backbench 1922 Committee this afternoon in this regard – then the political pressure following a second humiliating defeat for the Conservatives on May 23 could prove too much for Mrs May to cling on.

Other parties have already begun their European elections campaign. With just over two weeks to go to polling day, the Tories will now have to launch their campaign, confirm candidates and publish a manifesto for an election they never wanted.