MERSEYSIDE’S Police and Crime Commissioner has accused Theresa May of using a “dangerous tactic” in blaming MPs for the current Brexit crisis.

The Prime Minister has been widely criticised after addressing the nation on Wednesday evening, where she accused MPs of playing “political games”.

The Tory leader said she has written to Donald Tusk, President of the European Council, to request a short extension of Article 50 up to June 30 to give MPs “time to make a final choice”.

Jane Kennedy, Merseyside's Police and Crime Commissioner, said she fears it is looking more likely the UK will leave the EU without a withdrawal agreement in place.

Ms Kennedy added that members of the public would be “shocked” if they knew the scale of Merseyside Police’s no-deal contingency plans.

“I thought her statement was astonishing,” Ms Kennedy said.

“I thought it was almost designed to push away from the Prime Minster those members of Parliament that she needs to support her.

“Why she did it and why she did it in that way, I don’t understand.

“And I really worry now that we may be dragged over a deadline by accident and taken to a point where we leave the European Union without a withdrawal agreement.

“I worry about that not only on a personal level and for my family because of the impact I worry about with the economy, but from a policing point of view that is not an ideal solution.

“And I know the effort Merseyside Police are making to put in place plans for such an eventuality.

“I think the scale of it is huge. People would be shocked if they knew the detail.”

Addressing the nation, the Prime Minister said she was “on your side”, adding that “now you want us to get on with it.”

Mrs May faced an immediate backlash following the speech, with Tory MP for East Surrey Sam Gyimah calling the speech “toxic” and accusing the Prime Minister of delivering a “low blow”.

Labour’s Wes Streeting, MP for Ilford, said the speech was “incendiary and irresponsible”.

He said MPs across the House are subjected to death threats and warned that the Prime Minister would have to "accept her share of responsibility" if any harm comes to MPs.

Ms Kennedy, a former Labour MP, accused the Prime Minister of “very poor leadership and judgement”.

“I thought it was a very dangerous tactic,” Ms Kennedy said.

“I thought she’s wrong to imagine that there is a huge majority in favour of leaving. I think we have to leave.

“I voted to stay, but I would rather leave with an agreement in place.”

Ms Kennedy, who revealed this week that she had left the Labour Party, saying it has failed to deal with anti-Semitism, also accused some MPs of using “inflammatory language” in recent weeks.

She claimed to have heard comments from a “fanatical Brexiteer” that said Brexit is being “stolen from the British people”.

“That isn’t true and using that language is inflammatory and damaging,” Ms Kennedy said.

“What it doesn’t do is help people come together to achieve an outcome that everybody can feel is the right outcome.

“I’m afraid Theresa May has failed dismally to draw an agreement together across all party boundaries, in the best interest of the nation.

“She has made it so much more difficult, and I think individual Members of Parliament will be wringing their hands.

“Those who have a degree of sense who are not ideologically bound to Brexit, I think they will be really wresting now with what to do, what is the best thing for Britain and for the country.”