Cabinet told Brexit deal possible by Christmas after ‘major shift’ by the EU

THE Cabinet was yesterday told a Brexit deal by Christmas is now within sight after a “major shift” by the EU.

With just weeks left, Theresa May’s top table met for a mammoth three hours on Brexit in a bid to end deadlock over the Irish border.

Attorney General Geoffrey Cox declared a climb down by Brussels this week to agree to look at a joint arbitration mechanism to decide when to end the backstop plan could be the basis to a compromise agreement.

It would also answer Brexiteer Cabinet ministers’ demand to ensure the UK can escape an ongoing customs union instead of it turning into a permanent trap.

Mr Cox, the government’s top law officer, is now working flat out with No10 officials to draw up a mechanism to pitch to EU negotiators as soon as possible.

But in a sign of distrust in her, Mrs May was also confronted during the meeting by a demand by Environment Secretary Michael Gove to produce Mr Cox’s full legal advice about it – not just a summary of it that she had offered.

But there was another stern warning from the EU last night that time is fast running out.

Mrs May also told the Cabinet yesterday that it was crucial to seal a deal by the end of this month to give enough time for Parliament to vote on it by the year’s end.

A No10 source said: “Everyone agrees this all has to be wrapped up by Christmas, or we will run out of time to pass all the legislation by March 29”.

But Mrs May also issued her own warning to Brussels that she is still ready to walk away if the deal is not good enough.

The PM’s officials spokesman said: “The Prime Minister said she was confident of reaching a deal.

“She said that, while the UK should aim to secure a withdrawal agreement as soon as possible, this would not be done at any cost.”

No10 also warned that no breakthrough with the EU was imminent, with the spokesman adding: “Don’t be under the illusion that there isn’t a lot of work to do”.

As the pace of the talks pick up, the Cabinet were warned to be ready to meet again in full by the end of the week if the mechanism is ready.

The Cabinet met as the bitter row over how to keep the Irish border open between Northern Irish politicians and Dublin deepened.

The DUP hit back at Irish leaders hard line to insist the UK cannot control how long the backstop lasts.

The unionists’ chief whip Sir Jeffrey Donaldson said that meant “we’re heading for no deal”.

The EU’s chief negotiator Michel Barnier also turned up the time pressure on Mrs May last night to say that “he clock is still ticking”.

Mr Barnier added: “We’re willing to consider improvements to the backstop but we need a genuine backstop, an operational backstop to the point. Backstop means backstop.

“Today we’re not there yet. Frankly we don’t have the advantage of a lot more time.”

Downing Street said leaked plans for a media blitz of foreign leaders, business chiefs and Whitehall wonks to try sell the PM's deal was not a genuine government document.

The timetable, riddled with spelling errors, set out a day by day attempt to win over MPs ahead of a crunch Commons vote pencilled in for 24 November.

It included bringing in Japanese PM Shinzo Abe and the CBI to endorse her plans and predicted a moment of "decisive progress" would be announced by Brexit Secretary.

However No10 rejected the timetable and a Whitehall source added the "assumption is that someone took crude notes at the back of a 'war gaming' meeting which have been going on for at least a couple of weeks."

In a further headache for the PM last night, the powerful ERG bloc of Brexiteer Tory MPs warned they any Treasury statistics used to try browbeat them into backing a deal could "not be trusted."

Jacob Rees Mogg told fellow hardliners: "the Government must show its workings to parliament."

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