The British Prime Minister Theresa May could be set for an awkward Brexit climb-down and delay leaving the EU without a deal, in a bid to avoid a UK government walkout.

It comes amid reports that several senior ministers there are prepared to quit.

With little more than a month to go until Britain is scheduled to leave the bloc, Mrs May is under pressure to push back the exit date after delaying a critical House of Commons vote on her withdrawal agreement.

She has said MPs will not be able to take part in a so-called meaningful vote until March 12th, which is only 17 days before Brexit is due to happen.

While the British Labour Party has said that it would back a second referendum to "prevent a damaging Tory Brexit being forced on the country".

Leader Jeremy Corbyn told a meeting of MPs on Monday that the party will support or put forward another amendment in favour of a second referendum, in order to avoid such a scenario.

"The prime minister is recklessly running down the clock, in an attempt to force MPs to choose between her botched deal and a disastrous no-deal," he told them.

"We cannot and will not accept."

Undated file photos of British cabinet ministers (left to right) Greg Clark, Amber Rudd andDavid Gauke | Image: PA/PA Wire/PA Images

Mrs May will hold a cabinet meeting later on Tuesday, ahead of giving a statement to MPs - with expectations growing that she will offer a compromise deal to prevent any resignations.

Three cabinet ministers - Amber Rudd, Greg Clark and David Gauke - have publicly indicated that they could support a cross-party amendment to give parliament the power to stop the UK from leaving without a deal.

Britain's The Times reports that the three will resign if Mrs May does not guarantee that Brexit can be delayed if her deal is rejected again.

With other ministers ready to join, it is anticipated that Mrs May could be willing to push Brexit back by two months.

Mrs May has repeatedly refused to consider any such delay in public and has said she remains committed to getting her deal through the parliament.

British negotiators will return to Brussels on Tuesday to continue talks to on the withdrawal agreement.

European leaders - who are open to delaying Brexit - have said the Irish backstop, which is designed to prevent a hard border, cannot be altered.