Theresa May warned British public will 'go bananas' if she offers EU £40bn to settle Brexit divorce bill

Theresa May has been warned by a senior Tory MP that the British public will “go bananas” if she agrees to a Brexit divorce bill of £40billion or more.

Robert Halfon, the former deputy chairman of the Conservative Party, said voters would not accept such a payment at a time when public services are clamouring for more funding.

The warning came as it was claimed David Davis fell out with the top official at the Department for Exiting the European Union after the Brexit Secretary’s demand to use private RAF planes for trips to the continent was repeatedly blocked.

Oliver Robbins, the UK’s most senior Brexit negotiator, was moved from DExEU to report directly to Mrs May in Downing Street earlier this year amid reports of a strained relationship with Mr Davis.

Mr Robbins reportedly refused to sign off on Mr Davis’s request to avoid using commercial flights with the Brexit Secretary apparently only getting his way after appealing directly to Number 10.

Mrs May is gearing up for a crucial week in the Brexit process amid reports that she is preparing to double her divorce settlement offer from the £18billion she set out in her Florence speech in September.

The Prime Minister will chair a meeting of her Cabinet Brexit committee today when she is likely to face pressure to set out exactly what Britain expects to get for its money before a penny more is promised.

However, the prospect of Mrs May making a considerably larger Brexit bill offer in a bid to kickstart trade talks has sparked concerns within the Tory ranks.

Mr Halfon, a former minister and the current chairman of the Education Select Committee, told the BBC: "If we start saying that we're going to give £40 to £50billion to the EU, I think the public will go bananas, absolutely spare.

"I voted Remain because I believe in alliances of democracies in an uncertain world, but we voted to leave, the public want to leave, and I cannot believe that the public would accept such a huge amount when we need money for our schools, our hospitals, our housing and many other things."

Philip Hammond, the Chancellor, put pressure on Mrs May on Sunday to promise more money for the divorce settlement as he suggested an improved offer will be made to Brussels within the next three weeks.

Asked on the Andrew Marr Show on BBC One if it would soon be clear "what the bill is going to be", the Chancellor said he was "sure" Britain would set out its financial proposal to the EU in time for a crucial meeting of European leaders on December 14.

It came as the The Times reported that an alleged falling out between Mr Davis and Mr Robbins was down to the latter blocking the Brexit Secretary’s travel requests.

Mr Davis reportedly said after he was appointed that he did not want to use commercial flights to visit European capitals for Brexit talks.

But Mr Robbins apparently rejected the requests, prompting Mr Davis to ask Downing Street directly.

Number 10 signed off on the plan after Mr Davis allegedly said he would not embark on the visits unless he was allowed to use an RAF plane - significantly more costly than taking a regular commercial flight.

The claims are set out in a new book written by Tim Shipman, the political editor of the Sunday Times, but sources close to Mr Davis dismissed the report as “gossip rather than fact”.

Mr Robbins, who was permanent secretary at the Brexit department, was appointed EU adviser to the Prime Minister in September and now reports directly to Downing Street.

However, he still leads the UK’s team of officials during talks with the bloc.