Seán Kelly, Member of the European Parliament for Ireland South, told Sky News he is hopeful the transition period post-Brexit will be longer than two years.

He said: “We would prefer if the UK stayed in the customs union and the single market. 

“I think things are beginning to change gradually in the United Kingdom.”

Mr Kelly added: “Britain has 49 per cent of good and services trading into the European Union, 12 per cent into countries where we have free trade agreement, 27 per cent with countries where we’re negotiating free trade agreements, that leaves 12 per cent to do this wonderful free trade agreement that the Brexiteers have been talking about.

“I see half of the people now in favour of another referendum. 

“I think what will happen in the next period is hopefully after the withdrawal period there will be a longer transition period to allow reflection and to see actually what is best and to work all these solutions out in the interest of the United Kingdom and the European Union.”

Prime Minister Theresa May flew to Brussel this morning ahead of the second phase of the Brexit negotiations.

The PM will have to convince the EU to begin talks in January on a roughly two-year transition period to ease Britain out after March 2019.

Theresa May will also have to convince the EU27 to move on to future trade discussions in a bid to offer more certainty to businesses concerned about the implications of Brexit.

Despite the “sufficient progress” made on Friday at the end of the first phase of the negotiations, the Government has suffered the first parliamentary defeat on Wednesday.

MPs voted in favour of an amendment to the withdrawal bill that provided Parliament will have a final say on the deal reached with Brussels before March 2019.

Luxembourg’s Prime Minister Xavier Bettel said the victory of the so-called rebels is “not good for the negotiations” and should the British Parliament vote against the final Brexit deal, they will not return to the table of the negotiations.