Desperate Theresa May begs EU leaders for help with Brexit in New Year charm offensive
The Prime Minister is this week phoning round European leaders to ask them to change the withdrawal agreement
DESPERATE Theresa May will launch a last-ditch lobbying campaign over New Year as she begs EU leaders to improve the Brexit deal.
The PM has admitted she has “work to do” to get the withdrawal agreement through Parliament next month.
She is spending this week phoning European leaders asking them to sign off on changes to the deal which will ensure the hated “Irish backstop” doesn’t tie Britain to the EU forever.
Mrs May is counting on securing a legal assurance that the backstop would be time-limited if it ever came into force.
Otherwise, the UK would risk being permanently trapped in the customs union - stopping us from cutting trade deals with other countries around the world.
The PM has already spent some of the Christmas period talking to EU leaders and trying to make progress, her spokesman said today.
No10 said Mrs May was seeking "legal and political assurances" on the backstop ahead of the Commons debate which starts next week.
The spokesman added that the PM has “been in contact with European leaders and that will continue in the lead up to the vote".
And she continued: "Her focus is certainly on getting the assurances that MPs want ahead of that vote taking place. There is still work to do and talks will continue."
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No10 is understood to be focussed on getting a deal which meets the approval of the DUP - on the assumption that support from the unionists would convince dozens of Tory Brexiteers to fall in line.
Mrs May also wants to win the votes of up to 40 Labour MPs who are terrified of the possibility of a No Deal Brexit.
The Brexit deal vote in the Commons has been pencilled in for January 14 after several days' debate which starts next week.
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