Former Conservative whip Michael Fabricant has predicted the UK is heading for a general election.
He said an election would be held because Conservative MPs would vote with Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn to say they had no confidence in Theresa May's government.
The West Midland MP made the prediction as one Conservative Brexiteer, Steve Baker, publicly warned that he could vote with Labour in order to bring down the Government.
Mr Fabricant, MP for Lichfield in Staffordshie, said: "It now seems all roads point irrevocably towards a General Election. And the very toughest decision of all now faces the Prime Minister."
He made the comments in an article written for the Daily Telegraph.
Mr Fabricant said it looked like the House of Commons would push for the UK to remain in a Customs Union with the EU.
This would make it easier for trade between the UK and EU to continue - but it would also mean the UK had to continue obeying some EU rules, and could not sign independent trade deals with other countries.
Mr Fabricant said this would be strongly opposed by some Conservative MPs, who believe it would mean the UK hadn't really carried out Brexit at all.
He said: "Jeremy Corbyn knows that if the Government were forced down the Customs Union route, he could trigger another No Confidence vote which would have the support of a number of hardline Conservatives; and this time he would win.
"This would almost inevitably lead to a General Election at a time when the Conservative Party is least prepared for it."
As a whip, Mr Fabricant helped to enforce discipline in the party and attempted to prevent rebelliions.
But he is now predicting that so many Tory MPs will rebel that Theresa May's government will collapse, even though some Conservatives believe it would lead to Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn becoming Prime Minister.
He said Prime Minister Theresa May should "be bold" and press ahead with a "no-deal" Brexit.
Mr Fabricant said: "Of course, things will inevitably go wrong in the first few weeks and will be seized upon by the media.
"A shortage of Spanish tomatoes in Taunton, Waitrose running out of Dutch iceberg lettuce in Lichfield.
"But we will have delivered Brexit and the long term future would be as good as all of us who voted Leave first envisioned."
Conservative Party MP Steve Baker warned that he may vote with the Labour Party in a confidence motion, as he spoke on BBC Two's Politics Live show this lunchtime.
