BRUSSELS ROUT
Theresa May told to get stuffed by EU leaders who roast her pleas for a better Brexit deal
The PM admitted she's unlikely to get an 'immediate breakthrough' during talks with EU leaders today
THERESA May was today left well and truly stuffed after European leaders lined up to trash her appeal for a better Brexit deal.
The PM flew to Brussels hours after scraping through a confidence vote where 117 MPs called for her to go.
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She got just ten minutes to make her case to EU leaders at today's summit - but before she even spoke to them, several warned it would be impossible to reopen talks on the withdrawal agreement.
In a further blow to Mrs May's hopes, European Council president Donald Tusk later said the deal is “not open for renegotiation”.
As the PM's troubles continue to mount:
- She refused to confirm when she plans to step down but said it would be by 2022
- Tory rebels rowed over whether to try and force her to resign
- Dominic Raab became the most senior figure to publicly oppose her leadership
- The PM confirmed she won't bring her Brexit deal back to Parliament before Christmas
- There could be a special EU summit in January to forge a final version of the deal
- Labour are locked in talks with other parties over how to get a General Election
In an impassioned plea to Eurocrats, she begged for support in delivering a passable Brexit deal - and vowed to do "what is right... however difficult that might be for me politically".
Mrs May said: "We must get this right and hold nothing in reserve. Let's work together intensively to get this deal over the line in the best interests of all our people.
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"Over the last few years I hope I have shown you can trust me to do what is right, not always what is easy, however difficult that might be for me politically.
"I am in no doubt that the best result for all of us is to get this deal delivered in an orderly way and to get it done now.
"We have to change the perception that the backstop could be a trap from which the UK could not escape. Until we do, the deal - our deal - is at risk.
"It is in none of our interests to run the risk of accidental no-deal with all the disruption that would bring, or to allow this to drag on any further."
A source said the PM suggested that instead of an expiry date on the Irish backstop there should be a start date for the future relationship in another bid to save her deal.
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Comments from other EU leaders arriving at the meeting suggested they won't give ground on the crucial issue of fixing the Irish backstop so Britain can get out without Europe's permission.
Ireland's Leo Varadkar said: "The backstop is not on the table. If the backstop has an expiry date if there is a unilateral exit clause, then it is not a backstop."
He suggested the only way to avoid a No Deal would be for Britain to delay or revoke Article 50 - keeping us IN the EU.
Angela Merkel added: "I do not see that this withdrawal agreement can be changed."
Emmanuel Macron agreed, saying: "We cannot reopen a legal agreement, we can't renegotiate something which has been negotiated over several months."
Xavier Bettel, the PM of Luxembourg, said: "We are not here to renegotiate or make genuine changes, we are here to further clarify the deal agreed. I think renegotiations will be very very hard."
Dutch leader Mark Rutte praised Mrs May as a "great leader" and blasted Labour MPs who have mocked her troubles.
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But he warned: "It will be impossible to break open the negotiated withdrawal agreement - that is a given."
Only Austria's Sebastian Kurz provided a ray of light for the PM as he said the EU could hold a special Brexit summit next month to sign off on an addendum to the deal so that Mrs May can push it through Parliament.
Mrs May described yesterday as "a difficult day" and added: "I'm grateful for the support I've had from colleagues but I've also heard loud and clear the concerns of those who didn't feel able to support me.
"I know there are concerns in the House of Commons about this issue of the backstop and that they do not want it to be permanent.
"What I'll be talking to leaders about here today is what we need to get this deal over the line. I will be showing the legal and political assurances that I believe we need to assuage the concerns that members of Parliament have on this issue."
Asked about her plans to resign rather than fight the next election, Mrs May said: "In my heart I would love to be able to lead the Conservative party into the next General Election, but the party feels that it would prefer to go into that election with a new leader.
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"People try to talk about dates - what I'm clear about is that the next General Election is in 2022 and it's right that another party leader takes us into the election."
Jeremy Corbyn blasted: “It is clear there will be no changes to the deal the Prime Minister brought back last month. Theresa May herself says she isn’t expecting a breakthrough.
“There must be no more dither and delay, or attempts to run down the clock in an attempt to deny Parliament alternative options."
European Council boss Donald Tusk said he would hold "last-minute talks" with her to try and hammer out a solution, while Irish leader Leo Varadkar met Mrs May this morning.
The PM admitted yesterday she needs to junk the hated "Irish backstop" or she'll never get her withdrawal deal through the Commons.
But European leaders have insisted all week that there's no chance of changing the legally binding parts of the treaty.
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In a welcome boost for the PM, Austrian leader Sebastian Kurz said he was "glad" to see her win - but she still has to win over more powerful figures such as Angela Merkel.
Mrs May will be allotted just ten minutes tonight to make her case at a dinner with the 27 other EU chiefs, and will also seek to hold one-on-one meetings to beg them to save her skin.
A leaked draft of the summit's conclusions says the EU "stands ready to examine whether any further assurance can be provided" over the backstop.
It would declare the EU never wants the backstop - which would tie Britain to the customs union in order to avoid a hard border in Ireland - to come into effect.
The text reads: "The European Council underlines that the backstop does not represent a desirable outcome for the Union.
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Dominic Raab says Theresa May should quit despite winning vote
"The backstop is only intended as an insurance policy... It is the Union's firm determination to work speedily on a subsequent agreement."
But it insists that any compromise measures would not "change or contradict" the withdrawal agreement hammered out last month.
Several of the Tory rebel ringleaders claimed Mrs May was fatally damaged by last night's vote.
Steve Baker compared her to Margaret Thatcher, who resigned a week after winning a narrow majority of her MPs.
Peter Bone blasted today: "The result was very damaging to the Prime Minister."
And Brexit Secretary Mr Raab confirmed he voted against Mrs May last night, saying: "My biggest fear now is that if she continues in place we have a greater risk of Jeremy Corbyn in Government."
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One Brexiteer even claimed they'd rather see a snap election than let Mrs May carry on, telling The Times: "I’d much rather face the voters on this than just go along with it."
Other Brexit-backing MPs stopped short of calling for her to quit but warned she must completely overhaul the withdrawal agreement.
Ex-leader Iain Duncan Smith said: "They have to say to the EU your £39billion is fully at risk."
Anne-Marie Trevelyan added: "The Prime Minister now needs to ramp up government's preparedness for there being no signed treaty by March 29 so that businesses are ready.
"Then we have a decent negotiating position to get a deal which commands support of the House and actually is Brexit."
Some Brexiteers who opposed the PM called for the party to unite behind her - openly defying the strategy pushed by the likes of Jacob Rees-Mogg.
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Pro-EU figures used the chaos to demand a second referendum.
Anti-Brexit Tory Sarah Wollaston said: "The inescapable fact is that the Commons has reached deadlock and the PM will eventually have to take her deal to the people to ask for their consent."
Labour's Stephen Doughty added: "This is a bad Brexit deal, and no one should believe any 'reassurances' that she returns with - as they are not worth the paper written on."
Nick Timothy, Mrs May's former chief of staff, concluded that the result would lead to either a "Norway-style" soft Brexit deal or a second referendum.
The PM could face a fresh vote of confidence, this time in the House of Commons, as Labour works with other parties to try and force a General Election.
John McDonnell revealed he's locked in daily talks with other opposition bosses to co-ordinate a possible vote next week, which would topple the Government if it succeeded.
So far Mrs May's DUP allies have remained loyal - but they are also believed to be holding talks with Labour over the possibility of triggering a snap election.
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The PM's narrow win last night came after she promised not to lead the Tories into the next General Election, due for 2022.
But she failed to unite her party behind her, with warring factions openly taking potshots at each other.
And Mrs May's pledge to quit is set to ignite the contest to replace her as possible future leaders jostle for position.
Backbench boss Sir Graham Brady announced the 200-117 verdict in a Commons committee room at 9pm last night after a day of drama as Tory splits came out into the open.
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The whole Cabinet publicly backed Mrs May while Brexiteer big beasts such as Boris Johnson and David Davis refused to confirm which way they were voting.
Speaking to MPs shortly before the ballots opened, Mrs May admitted she wouldn't be able to lead the party into the next election - meaning she must resign within two years.
And in a Downing Street speech after the result came out, the PM vowed to listen to her critics and squeeze more concessions out of Brussels.
Theresa May wins no confidence vote by just 83 votes
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