US President Donald Trump has warned that the deal allowing the United Kingdom to leave European Union may hamper trade ties between Washington and London&nbsp;

Speaking with the reporters at the White House, Trump said, "Sounds like a great deal for the European Union. We have to take a look at seriously whether or not the UK is allowed to trade."&nbsp;

"You know, right now, if you look at the deal, they may not be able to trade with us, and that wouldn't be a good thing," he then added.

"I don't think they want that at all. That would be a very big negative for the deal."

He expressed hope that <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/britain-will-head-into-unknown-if-brexit-deal-is-rejected-says-may-in-uk-parliament-179629">UK Prime Minister Theresa May </a>will "be able to do something about that."

However, spokeswoman for May's office has disputed Trump's interpretation saying that agreement struck with the EU allows the UK to sign trade deals with countries throughout the world, including with the United States.

"We have already been laying the groundwork for an ambitious agreement with the US through our joint working groups, which have met five times so far," news agency Reuters quoted the spokeswoman as&nbsp;saying.

Under the deal secured with EU leaders on Sunday, the UK will leave the bloc in March with continued close trade ties. But the odds look stacked against May getting it approved by a divided British parliament.

The British leader on Sunday closed 17 months of painful talks with Brussels by sealing Brexit arrangements with the 27 other EU heads of state and government.

However, May faces a difficult task getting parliamentary approval for the deal.

(With inputs from news agencies)

US President Donald Trump has warned that the deal allowing the United Kingdom to leave European Union may hamper trade ties between Washington and London Speaking with the reporters at the White House, Trump said, "Sounds like a great deal for the European Union.

US President Donald Trump has warned that the deal allowing the United Kingdom to leave European Union may hamper trade ties between Washington and London Speaking with the reporters at the White House, Trump said, "Sounds like a great deal for the European Union. We have to take a look at seriously whether or not the UK is allowed to trade." "You know, right now, if you look at the deal, they may not be able to trade with us, and that wouldn't be a good thing," he then added. "I don't think they want that at all. That would be a very big negative for the deal." He expressed hope that UK Prime Minister Theresa May will "be able to do something about that." However, spokeswoman for May's office has disputed Trump's interpretation saying that agreement struck with the EU allows the UK to sign trade deals with countries throughout the world, including with the United States. "We have already been laying the groundwork for an ambitious agreement with the US through our joint working groups, which have met five times so far," news agency Reuters quoted the spokeswoman as saying. Under the deal secured with EU leaders on Sunday, the UK will leave the bloc in March with continued close trade ties. But the odds look stacked against May getting it approved by a divided British parliament. The British leader on Sunday closed 17 months of painful talks with Brussels by sealing Brexit arrangements with the 27 other EU heads of state and government. However, May faces a difficult task getting parliamentary approval for the deal. (With inputs from news agencies)

Trump warns Brexit may harm US-British trade, UK differs

Prime Minister Theresa May will travel to Northern Ireland and Wales on Tuesday as part of a tour of the United Kingdom designed to rally support for her widely criticised Brexit deal before a vote in parliament.

May secured an agreement with the EU on Sunday for a deal that will see Britain leaving the bloc with continued close trade ties, but the odds now look stacked against her getting it approved by a deeply divided British parliament.

Tuesday's tour includes meetings with political leaders from all parties in Northern Ireland - which will have Britain`s only land border with the European Union and whose future has been a stumbling block in the negotiations.

"Having been told by the EU that we would need to split the UK in two, we are leaving as one United Kingdom," May said in a statement announcing the visit and defending the border arrangements agreed with the EU.&nbsp;

"My deal delivers for every corner of the UK and I will work hard to strengthen the bonds that unite us as we look ahead to our future outside of the EU."

The visit is part one of several fronts May`s team are working on to build support ahead of the Dec. 11 vote in parliament. Some of her senior ministers have been praising the deal in public, and courting opposition lawmakers in private.&nbsp;

So far, the deal has failed to impress the Northern Irish Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) which props up May`s minority government. The DUP said they would vote against the current form of the deal, drastically reducing May`s chances of passing it, because it could leave the Northern Ireland subject to different rules than the rest of the country.

May will highlight the business case for backing her deal, saying that it has support from manufacturers who "need to be able to trade freely across the border with Ireland and have unfettered access to the rest of the United Kingdom’s market".

May will also meet students, academics, and community and religious leaders in Northern Ireland. On the Welsh leg of the visit she will meet political leaders and farmers.

Prime Minister Theresa May will travel to Northern Ireland and Wales on Tuesday as part of a tour of the United Kingdom designed to rally support for her widely criticised Brexit deal before a vote in parliament.

Prime Minister Theresa May will travel to Northern Ireland and Wales on Tuesday as part of a tour of the United Kingdom designed to rally support for her widely criticised Brexit deal before a vote in parliament. May secured an agreement with the EU on Sunday for a deal that will see Britain leaving the bloc with continued close trade ties, but the odds now look stacked against her getting it approved by a deeply divided British parliament. Tuesday's tour includes meetings with political leaders from all parties in Northern Ireland - which will have Britain`s only land border with the European Union and whose future has been a stumbling block in the negotiations. "Having been told by the EU that we would need to split the UK in two, we are leaving as one United Kingdom," May said in a statement announcing the visit and defending the border arrangements agreed with the EU. "My deal delivers for every corner of the UK and I will work hard to strengthen the bonds that unite us as we look ahead to our future outside of the EU." The visit is part one of several fronts May`s team are working on to build support ahead of the Dec. 11 vote in parliament. Some of her senior ministers have been praising the deal in public, and courting opposition lawmakers in private. So far, the deal has failed to impress the Northern Irish Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) which props up May`s minority government. The DUP said they would vote against the current form of the deal, drastically reducing May`s chances of passing it, because it could leave the Northern Ireland subject to different rules than the rest of the country. May will highlight the business case for backing her deal, saying that it has support from manufacturers who "need to be able to trade freely across the border with Ireland and have unfettered access to the rest of the United Kingdom’s market". May will also meet students, academics, and community and religious leaders in Northern Ireland. On the Welsh leg of the visit she will meet political leaders and farmers.

Theresa May begins tour of Britain to sell Brexit deal benefits

Prime Minister Theresa May warned on Monday that Britain would be thrust into the unknown if parliament rejects the Brexit deal she has negotiated with the European Union, as lawmakers from all sides lined up to criticise the agreement.

Under the deal secured with EU leaders on Sunday, Britain will leave the bloc in March with continued close trade ties, but the odds now look stacked against May getting it approved by a divided British parliament.

As May tried to win over her critics, lawmakers from both her own Conservatives and opposition parties attacked the deal, warning that parliament would not support it, and urging her to set out an alternative plan.

"There is not a better deal available," May told the House of Commons. "We can back this deal, deliver on the vote of the referendum and move on to building a brighter future .. or this House can choose to reject this deal and go back to square one."

"No-one knows what would happen if this deal doesn’t pass. It would open the door to more division and more uncertainty, with all the risks that will entail."

Parliament will vote on the deal on December 11 after a total of five days of debate, May's office said.

May has warned lawmakers that if they reject it, Britain could face leaving the EU without a deal - something businesses say would hurt the world's fifth largest economy.

The EU has also been clear that there is very little appetite to reopen the Brexit negotiations if parliament votes it down.

Her plan faces opposition from both eurosceptics and europhiles among her party's 314 lawmakers and around 313 lawmakers from opposition parties. The 10 lawmakers of the Democratic Unionist Party, the Northern Irish group that props up May's minority government, said at the weekend they will vote against the deal.

May needs to win a simple majority in parliament - 320 votes if all active lawmakers turn out and vote - but former whips, who have long studied parliamentary arithmetic, say the prime minister may end up needing only 305 votes if illnesses and abstentions are accounted for.

"This will never get through ... it is as dead as a dodo," Conservative lawmaker Mark Francois said, adding he agreed with the Sun newspaper's verdict that the deal was "a surrender".

"Prime Minister I plead with you, the House of Commons has never ever surrendered to anybody and it won't start now."

Asked if May was confident of getting a deal through parliament, her spokesman told reporters: "Yes."

May said her deal was in the national interest, but opposition Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said ploughing on with a deal that did not have the support of parliament was "an act of national self-harm".

Her de facto deputy David Lidington will meet Labour lawmakers on Monday to discuss the deal, her spokesman said, in a move seen by many as an attempt to win their support.

May sought to reassure pro-Brexit lawmakers angered by comments from French President Emmanuel Macron on Sunday demanding access to UK fishing waters after Brexit. These remarks deepened worries that Britain will be forced into a so-called backstop to avoid a return of controls on the border between Northern Ireland and the Irish republic.

"The EU have maintained throughout this process that they wanted to link overall access to markets to access to fisheries. They failed in the Withdrawal Agreement, and they failed again in the Political Declaration," May said.

"It is no surprise some are already trying to lay down markers again for the future relationship, but they should be getting used to the answer by now: it is not going to happen."

Prime Minister Theresa May warned on Monday that Britain would be thrust into the unknown if parliament rejects the Brexit deal she has negotiated with the European Union, as lawmakers from all sides lined up to criticise the agreement.

Prime Minister Theresa May warned on Monday that Britain would be thrust into the unknown if parliament rejects the Brexit deal she has negotiated with the European Union, as lawmakers from all sides lined up to criticise the agreement. Under the deal secured with EU leaders on Sunday, Britain will leave the bloc in March with continued close trade ties, but the odds now look stacked against May getting it approved by a divided British parliament. As May tried to win over her critics, lawmakers from both her own Conservatives and opposition parties attacked the deal, warning that parliament would not support it, and urging her to set out an alternative plan. "There is not a better deal available," May told the House of Commons. "We can back this deal, deliver on the vote of the referendum and move on to building a brighter future .. or this House can choose to reject this deal and go back to square one." "No-one knows what would happen if this deal doesn’t pass. It would open the door to more division and more uncertainty, with all the risks that will entail." Parliament will vote on the deal on December 11 after a total of five days of debate, May's office said. May has warned lawmakers that if they reject it, Britain could face leaving the EU without a deal - something businesses say would hurt the world's fifth largest economy. The EU has also been clear that there is very little appetite to reopen the Brexit negotiations if parliament votes it down. Her plan faces opposition from both eurosceptics and europhiles among her party's 314 lawmakers and around 313 lawmakers from opposition parties. The 10 lawmakers of the Democratic Unionist Party, the Northern Irish group that props up May's minority government, said at the weekend they will vote against the deal. May needs to win a simple majority in parliament - 320 votes if all active lawmakers turn out and vote - but former whips, who have long studied parliamentary arithmetic, say the prime minister may end up needing only 305 votes if illnesses and abstentions are accounted for. "This will never get through ... it is as dead as a dodo," Conservative lawmaker Mark Francois said, adding he agreed with the Sun newspaper's verdict that the deal was "a surrender". "Prime Minister I plead with you, the House of Commons has never ever surrendered to anybody and it won't start now." Asked if May was confident of getting a deal through parliament, her spokesman told reporters: "Yes." May said her deal was in the national interest, but opposition Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said ploughing on with a deal that did not have the support of parliament was "an act of national self-harm". Her de facto deputy David Lidington will meet Labour lawmakers on Monday to discuss the deal, her spokesman said, in a move seen by many as an attempt to win their support. May sought to reassure pro-Brexit lawmakers angered by comments from French President Emmanuel Macron on Sunday demanding access to UK fishing waters after Brexit. These remarks deepened worries that Britain will be forced into a so-called backstop to avoid a return of controls on the border between Northern Ireland and the Irish republic. "The EU have maintained throughout this process that they wanted to link overall access to markets to access to fisheries. They failed in the Withdrawal Agreement, and they failed again in the Political Declaration," May said. "It is no surprise some are already trying to lay down markers again for the future relationship, but they should be getting used to the answer by now: it is not going to happen."

Britain will head into unknown if Brexit deal is rejected, says PM May in UK Parliament

Prime Minister Theresa May will on Monday convene her cabinet and update parliament on her newly-agreed <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/brexit-deal-the-end-of-a-loveless-46-year-marriage-179375">Brexit deal</a>, as the embattled British leader tries to sell the maligned plan to a sceptical country.

May returns to a mutinous Westminster after sealg the agreement with European Union leaders at a summit on Sunday in Brussels, where both sides insisted this was the best and only option available.

But she faces a big battle to win MPs' approval ahead of a vote next month, with lawmakers from all parties -- including her own Conservatives and governing allies the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) -- opposed.

"We can back this deal, deliver on the vote of the referendum and move on to building a brighter future," May will tell the House of Commons, according to excerpts of her planned remarks released by Downing Street.&nbsp;

"Or this house can choose to reject this deal and go back to square one.

"It would open the door to more division and more uncertainty, with all the risks that will entail," she will warn lawmakers.

'National interest'

The agreement sealed Sunday prepares for Britain's smooth exit from the EU on March 29, 2019, and sets out a vision for "as close as possible a partnership" afterwards.

It covers financial matters, citizens' rights, provisions to keep open Britain's border with Ireland and arrangements for a 21-month post-Brexit transition phase.

The lengthy, legally enforceable divorce deal is accompanied by a short political declaration setting out hopes for future ties, including security, trade and migration.

Until it is approved by parliaments in Britain and Strasbourg, all sides are still planning for the potentially disastrous possibility of Britain quitting the European Union with no new arrangements in place.

A European source told AFP that May herself acknowledged in Brussels Sunday that she did not currently have a majority in parliament to pass her plan.&nbsp;

The prime minister vowed to warn her rebellious MPs that at least half could lose their seats at the next election if they fail to deliver her Brexit deal, the source said.

She will now embark on an intensive nationwide campaign promoting the plan -- and the dangers of no-deal -- ahead of the vote by lawmakers on or around December 12, according to reports.

"I believe our national interest is clear," she will tell MPs Monday.

"The British people want us to get on with a deal that honours the referendum and allows us to come together again as a country whichever way we voted."

Challenging arithmetic

But arch-Brexiteers despise the agreement, arguing it keeps Britain too closely aligned with the bloc.

Alongside the DUP, they also dislike the so-called "backstop" plan for Northern Ireland after a 21-month post-Brexit transition period.

If used, it would keep the British-ruled province more closely aligned with the EU in certain areas so as to avoid a hard border with remaining EU member Ireland.

The Northern Irish DUP party, whose 10 MP's prop up May's government, has pledged to "review" its support if her plan gets approved by parliament.

Meanwhile, more than 80 Tory MPs have declared publicly that they intend to vote against it.

"I don't believe that, so far, this deal delivers on what the British people really voted for," former Conservative leader Iain Duncan Smith told Sky News on Sunday.

Cabinet colleagues have conceded it was an uphill struggle but remain resolute.&nbsp;

"The arithmetic at the moment is looking challenging but a lot can change over the next two weeks," Foreign Minister Jeremy Hunt told the BBC on Sunday.

"We're going to get through this and give people the Brexit they voted for," he added optimistically.

However, opponents were also readying for the fight.&nbsp;

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said his party will oppose the package in parliament and work with MPs from other parties to block a no-deal Brexit.

"This is a bad deal for the country," he said in a statement.

"It is the result of a miserable failure of negotiation that leaves us with the worst of all worlds."

Prime Minister Theresa May will on Monday convene her cabinet and update parliament on her newly-agreed Brexit deal, as the embattled British leader tries to sell the maligned plan to a sceptical country.

Prime Minister Theresa May will on Monday convene her cabinet and update parliament on her newly-agreed Brexit deal, as the embattled British leader tries to sell the maligned plan to a sceptical country. May returns to a mutinous Westminster after sealg the agreement with European Union leaders at a summit on Sunday in Brussels, where both sides insisted this was the best and only option available. But she faces a big battle to win MPs' approval ahead of a vote next month, with lawmakers from all parties -- including her own Conservatives and governing allies the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) -- opposed. "We can back this deal, deliver on the vote of the referendum and move on to building a brighter future," May will tell the House of Commons, according to excerpts of her planned remarks released by Downing Street. "Or this house can choose to reject this deal and go back to square one. "It would open the door to more division and more uncertainty, with all the risks that will entail," she will warn lawmakers. 'National interest' The agreement sealed Sunday prepares for Britain's smooth exit from the EU on March 29, 2019, and sets out a vision for "as close as possible a partnership" afterwards. It covers financial matters, citizens' rights, provisions to keep open Britain's border with Ireland and arrangements for a 21-month post-Brexit transition phase. The lengthy, legally enforceable divorce deal is accompanied by a short political declaration setting out hopes for future ties, including security, trade and migration. Until it is approved by parliaments in Britain and Strasbourg, all sides are still planning for the potentially disastrous possibility of Britain quitting the European Union with no new arrangements in place. A European source told AFP that May herself acknowledged in Brussels Sunday that she did not currently have a majority in parliament to pass her plan. The prime minister vowed to warn her rebellious MPs that at least half could lose their seats at the next election if they fail to deliver her Brexit deal, the source said. She will now embark on an intensive nationwide campaign promoting the plan -- and the dangers of no-deal -- ahead of the vote by lawmakers on or around December 12, according to reports. "I believe our national interest is clear," she will tell MPs Monday. "The British people want us to get on with a deal that honours the referendum and allows us to come together again as a country whichever way we voted." Challenging arithmetic But arch-Brexiteers despise the agreement, arguing it keeps Britain too closely aligned with the bloc. Alongside the DUP, they also dislike the so-called "backstop" plan for Northern Ireland after a 21-month post-Brexit transition period. If used, it would keep the British-ruled province more closely aligned with the EU in certain areas so as to avoid a hard border with remaining EU member Ireland. The Northern Irish DUP party, whose 10 MP's prop up May's government, has pledged to "review" its support if her plan gets approved by parliament. Meanwhile, more than 80 Tory MPs have declared publicly that they intend to vote against it. "I don't believe that, so far, this deal delivers on what the British people really voted for," former Conservative leader Iain Duncan Smith told Sky News on Sunday. Cabinet colleagues have conceded it was an uphill struggle but remain resolute. "The arithmetic at the moment is looking challenging but a lot can change over the next two weeks," Foreign Minister Jeremy Hunt told the BBC on Sunday. "We're going to get through this and give people the Brexit they voted for," he added optimistically. However, opponents were also readying for the fight. Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said his party will oppose the package in parliament and work with MPs from other parties to block a no-deal Brexit. "This is a bad deal for the country," he said in a statement. "It is the result of a miserable failure of negotiation that leaves us with the worst of all worlds."

Theresa May begins intensive campaign to sell Brexit deal at home

Prime Minister Theresa May faces an uphill struggle to win approval for her newly-agreed Brexit deal in Britain's parliament next month.

A defeat in the House of Commons, where lawmakers have voiced strong opposition, would have uncertain consequences.&nbsp;

No-deal Brexit

Britain has legislated to leave the European Union on March 29, 2019, after triggering Article 50 -- the treaty mechanism used to exit the bloc -- two years prior. &nbsp;

May has warned that if MPs vote down her plan the country risks crashing out on this date with no agreement.

That would sever ties overnight with its closest trading partner, with fears of grounded flights, medicine shortages and gridlocked ports and motorways.&nbsp;

Dozens of arch-Brexiteers, led by a hardline backbencher, Jacob Rees-Mogg, believe no deal would be preferable to the current plan that keeps the country tied closer to the bloc.

But that view lacks majority support in parliament. Lawmakers have vowed to stop it happening. But it remains unclear how they could reverse the law passed to leave the EU.

They fear Britain and financial markets would be thrown into chaos, with even finance minister Philip Hammond sounding alarmed on Saturday.&nbsp;

"If we were to leave the EU without a deal I have no doubt that the consequences for the UK economy would be very serious indeed, very disruptive, and very negative for jobs, for prosperity in the future," he told the BBC.

A new deal

MPs are expected to vote on May's plan on or around December 10, with an EU summit set for later that week.

If they reject her deal, the prime minister may head to Brussels, aiming to finesse elements of the plan to win support at home.&nbsp;

Bloc leaders have warned they will not return to the negotiating table. But with the threat of a no-deal Brexit -- which would have deleterious consequences for EU countries -- they could relent.

The Sunday Telegraph newspaper reported that several British cabinet members and EU diplomats were secretly working on "plan B" proposals.

The senior ministers were said to be plotting the parameters of a relationship with Brussels similar to that applied to Norway, which is not an EU member but is in the European single market.

Although being in the single market would require maintaining freedom of movement of EU citizens into Britain -- a contentious issue for May and many pro-Brexit voters -- this approach is considered more likely to command a majority in parliament and potentially pass a second vote.

Meanwhile, EU figures are said to be "war-gaming" how the bloc could extend Article 50 to allow for a tweaked deal or other scenarios, the Telegraph said.

Alternatives

Beyond those scenarios, the situation becomes even more uncertain.

Conservative lawmakers could restart a stalled bid to replace May as party leader. That would require 48 MPs -- 15 per cent of the parliamentary party -- to initiate an internal contest, and a majority then supporting a rival.

Meanwhile, the prime minister could try to break the parliamentary deadlock by calling a general election -- but would need the backing of two-thirds of all MPs.

A simple majority of all lawmakers could also topple her government with a vote of no confidence. That could lead to the formation of a new government -- possibly a coalition of parties -- if MPs agreed within two weeks, or then an election.

The likelihood of May downfall has risen amid signs of strain in her Westminster alliance.

The Democratic Unionist Party, a fervently pro-Brexit party in the UK's Northern Ireland which props up her government, has said it could withdraw its support over the issue.&nbsp;

In a warning shot earlier this week, it withdrew support for government finance legislation.&nbsp;

Alternatively, calls for a so-called "People's Vote" -- a new referendum -- now attract significant cross-party support.

May has repeatedly ruled out another referendum. But with at least a dozen Tories and opposition parties increasingly in favour, she could face a majority pushing for it in the House of Commons amid the paralysis.

Prime Minister Theresa May faces an uphill struggle to win approval for her newly-agreed Brexit deal in Britain's parliament next month. A defeat in the House of Commons, where lawmakers have voiced strong opposition, would have uncertain consequences.

Prime Minister Theresa May faces an uphill struggle to win approval for her newly-agreed Brexit deal in Britain's parliament next month. A defeat in the House of Commons, where lawmakers have voiced strong opposition, would have uncertain consequences. No-deal Brexit Britain has legislated to leave the European Union on March 29, 2019, after triggering Article 50 -- the treaty mechanism used to exit the bloc -- two years prior. May has warned that if MPs vote down her plan the country risks crashing out on this date with no agreement. That would sever ties overnight with its closest trading partner, with fears of grounded flights, medicine shortages and gridlocked ports and motorways. Dozens of arch-Brexiteers, led by a hardline backbencher, Jacob Rees-Mogg, believe no deal would be preferable to the current plan that keeps the country tied closer to the bloc. But that view lacks majority support in parliament. Lawmakers have vowed to stop it happening. But it remains unclear how they could reverse the law passed to leave the EU. They fear Britain and financial markets would be thrown into chaos, with even finance minister Philip Hammond sounding alarmed on Saturday. "If we were to leave the EU without a deal I have no doubt that the consequences for the UK economy would be very serious indeed, very disruptive, and very negative for jobs, for prosperity in the future," he told the BBC. A new deal MPs are expected to vote on May's plan on or around December 10, with an EU summit set for later that week. If they reject her deal, the prime minister may head to Brussels, aiming to finesse elements of the plan to win support at home. Bloc leaders have warned they will not return to the negotiating table. But with the threat of a no-deal Brexit -- which would have deleterious consequences for EU countries -- they could relent. The Sunday Telegraph newspaper reported that several British cabinet members and EU diplomats were secretly working on "plan B" proposals. The senior ministers were said to be plotting the parameters of a relationship with Brussels similar to that applied to Norway, which is not an EU member but is in the European single market. Although being in the single market would require maintaining freedom of movement of EU citizens into Britain -- a contentious issue for May and many pro-Brexit voters -- this approach is considered more likely to command a majority in parliament and potentially pass a second vote. Meanwhile, EU figures are said to be "war-gaming" how the bloc could extend Article 50 to allow for a tweaked deal or other scenarios, the Telegraph said. Alternatives Beyond those scenarios, the situation becomes even more uncertain. Conservative lawmakers could restart a stalled bid to replace May as party leader. That would require 48 MPs -- 15 per cent of the parliamentary party -- to initiate an internal contest, and a majority then supporting a rival. Meanwhile, the prime minister could try to break the parliamentary deadlock by calling a general election -- but would need the backing of two-thirds of all MPs. A simple majority of all lawmakers could also topple her government with a vote of no confidence. That could lead to the formation of a new government -- possibly a coalition of parties -- if MPs agreed within two weeks, or then an election. The likelihood of May downfall has risen amid signs of strain in her Westminster alliance. The Democratic Unionist Party, a fervently pro-Brexit party in the UK's Northern Ireland which props up her government, has said it could withdraw its support over the issue. In a warning shot earlier this week, it withdrew support for government finance legislation. Alternatively, calls for a so-called "People's Vote" -- a new referendum -- now attract significant cross-party support. May has repeatedly ruled out another referendum. But with at least a dozen Tories and opposition parties increasingly in favour, she could face a majority pushing for it in the House of Commons amid the paralysis.

Uncharted territory: What if UK MPs reject Brexit deal?

British Prime Minister Theresa May wrote a "letter to the nation" Sunday vowing to campaign with "heart and soul" for her Brexit deal once EU leaders sign off on it this weekend.

May, who hopes to seal the divorce agreement and outline of future ties with Europe at a Brussels summit Sunday, faces a daunting challenge winning the support of Britain's parliament.

The Sunday Telegraph reported that members of her own cabinet and EU diplomats are <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/british-pm-theresa-may-battling-to-save-her-job-brexit-deal-after-4-ministers-quit-177575">secretly working on "plan B" proposals</a>, fearing lawmakers will reject the current deal.

But in the letter published in several newspapers, May insisted her agreement would "honour the result" of the 2016 referendum -- when 52 per cent backed Leave -- and be "a moment of renewal and reconciliation".

"It will be a deal that is in our national interest -- one that works for our whole country and all of our people, whether you voted 'Leave' or 'Remain'," May wrote.

"It is a deal for a brighter future, which enables us to seize the opportunities that lie ahead."

Reiterating Britain would be leaving the European Union on March 29 next year, she urged people to get behind the deal.

"Parliament will have the chance to do that in a few weeks' time when it has a meaningful vote on the deal," the prime minister said.

"I will be campaigning with my heart and soul to win that vote and to deliver this Brexit deal, for the good of our the United Kingdom and all of our people."

May is struggling even to unite her ruling Conservatives, and Northern Irish parliamentary allies the Democratic Unionist Party, behind the plan.

Meanwhile, opposition parties including Labour, the Liberal Democrats and the Scottish Nationalists, have all vowed to vote against it.&nbsp;

According to the Sunday Telegraph report, several senior ministers are now plotting the parameters of a Norway-style relationship with Brussels.

It said senior EU figures are "war-gaming" how the bloc could extend Article 50 -- the mechanism used to leave the bloc next March -- to allow for various scenarios.&nbsp;

Among them is a possible second referendum.

Responding to May's letter, Labour MP Stephen Doughty said it was "completely false" to claim the only options were her agreement or no deal.&nbsp;

"By rejecting this deal, parliament can give the public a real choice in a people's vote between leaving the EU on these terms or sticking with the deal we've got inside the EU," he added.

British Prime Minister Theresa May wrote a "letter to the nation" Sunday vowing to campaign with "heart and soul" for her Brexit deal once EU leaders sign off on it this weekend.

British Prime Minister Theresa May wrote a "letter to the nation" Sunday vowing to campaign with "heart and soul" for her Brexit deal once EU leaders sign off on it this weekend. May, who hopes to seal the divorce agreement and outline of future ties with Europe at a Brussels summit Sunday, faces a daunting challenge winning the support of Britain's parliament. The Sunday Telegraph reported that members of her own cabinet and EU diplomats are secretly working on "plan B" proposals, fearing lawmakers will reject the current deal. But in the letter published in several newspapers, May insisted her agreement would "honour the result" of the 2016 referendum -- when 52 per cent backed Leave -- and be "a moment of renewal and reconciliation". "It will be a deal that is in our national interest -- one that works for our whole country and all of our people, whether you voted 'Leave' or 'Remain'," May wrote. "It is a deal for a brighter future, which enables us to seize the opportunities that lie ahead." Reiterating Britain would be leaving the European Union on March 29 next year, she urged people to get behind the deal. "Parliament will have the chance to do that in a few weeks' time when it has a meaningful vote on the deal," the prime minister said. "I will be campaigning with my heart and soul to win that vote and to deliver this Brexit deal, for the good of our the United Kingdom and all of our people." May is struggling even to unite her ruling Conservatives, and Northern Irish parliamentary allies the Democratic Unionist Party, behind the plan. Meanwhile, opposition parties including Labour, the Liberal Democrats and the Scottish Nationalists, have all vowed to vote against it. According to the Sunday Telegraph report, several senior ministers are now plotting the parameters of a Norway-style relationship with Brussels. It said senior EU figures are "war-gaming" how the bloc could extend Article 50 -- the mechanism used to leave the bloc next March -- to allow for various scenarios. Among them is a possible second referendum. Responding to May's letter, Labour MP Stephen Doughty said it was "completely false" to claim the only options were her agreement or no deal. "By rejecting this deal, parliament can give the public a real choice in a people's vote between leaving the EU on these terms or sticking with the deal we've got inside the EU," he added.

'A deal for a brighter future': Theresa May writes open letter to Britons on Brexit deal

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/mexico-will-hold-us-bound-refugees-while-claims-processed-trump-179220">All migrants at </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/mexico-will-hold-us-bound-refugees-while-claims-processed-trump-179220">border</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/mexico-will-hold-us-bound-refugees-while-claims-processed-trump-179220"> to be held in Mexico while they're assessed: Trump</a>

Asylum seekers hoping to enter the US via its southern border will have to wait in Mexico while they are assessed, President Donald Trump announced Saturday, appearing to confirm a report about a bilateral deal published by The Washington Post.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/uks-may-pens-open-letter-to-britons-lauding-brexit-deal-179221">'A deal for a brighter future': Theresa May writes </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/uks-may-pens-open-letter-to-britons-lauding-brexit-deal-179221">open</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/uks-may-pens-open-letter-to-britons-lauding-brexit-deal-179221"> letter to Britons on Brexit deal</a>

British Prime Minister Theresa May wrote a "letter to the nation" Sunday vowing to campaign with "heart and soul" for her Brexit deal once EU leaders sign off on it this weekend.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/clashes-on-champs-elysees-as-french-protesters-rage-against-taxes-179223">'Shame' on you, Macron tells French fuel hike protesters</a>

Anti-government protesters clashed with French police on the Champs-Elysees in Paris on Saturday, leaving the area cloaked in tear gas and smoke from fires on a fresh day of demonstrations against President Emmanuel Macron.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/jk-4-terrorists-killed-in-encounter-with-security-forces-in-shopians-kapran-batagund-179227">J&amp;K: 4 terrorists killed in </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/jk-4-terrorists-killed-in-encounter-with-security-forces-in-shopians-kapran-batagund-179227">encounter</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/jk-4-terrorists-killed-in-encounter-with-security-forces-in-shopians-kapran-batagund-179227"> with security forces in Shopian's </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/jk-4-terrorists-killed-in-encounter-with-security-forces-in-shopians-kapran-batagund-179227">Kapran</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/jk-4-terrorists-killed-in-encounter-with-security-forces-in-shopians-kapran-batagund-179227"> Batagund</a>

An encounter between security forces and terrorists broke out in Kapran Batagund area of Jammu and Kashmir's Shopian district on Sunday.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/lord-ram-statue-in-ayodhya-to-be-tallest-in-world-up-government-179232">Ram statue in Ayodhya to be tallest in the world: UP government</a>

Uttar Pradesh Principal Secretary (Information) Avanish Awasthi on Saturday said that the state government will install a 221-metre bronze statue of Lord Ram in Ayodhya.&nbsp;

 
&nbsp;

All migrants at border to be held in Mexico while they're assessed: Trump Asylum seekers hoping to enter the US via its southern border will have to wait in Mexico while they are assessed, President Donald Trump announced Saturday, appearing to confirm a report about a bilateral deal published by The Washington Post.

All migrants at border to be held in Mexico while they're assessed: Trump Asylum seekers hoping to enter the US via its southern border will have to wait in Mexico while they are assessed, President Donald Trump announced Saturday, appearing to confirm a report about a bilateral deal published by The Washington Post. 'A deal for a brighter future': Theresa May writes open letter to Britons on Brexit deal British Prime Minister Theresa May wrote a "letter to the nation" Sunday vowing to campaign with "heart and soul" for her Brexit deal once EU leaders sign off on it this weekend. 'Shame' on you, Macron tells French fuel hike protesters Anti-government protesters clashed with French police on the Champs-Elysees in Paris on Saturday, leaving the area cloaked in tear gas and smoke from fires on a fresh day of demonstrations against President Emmanuel Macron. J&K: 4 terrorists killed in encounter with security forces in Shopian's Kapran Batagund An encounter between security forces and terrorists broke out in Kapran Batagund area of Jammu and Kashmir's Shopian district on Sunday. Ram statue in Ayodhya to be tallest in the world: UP government Uttar Pradesh Principal Secretary (Information) Avanish Awasthi on Saturday said that the state government will install a 221-metre bronze statue of Lord Ram in Ayodhya.

News brief: Big stories of the day

The <a href="http://www.wionews.com/europe/27-european-union-leaders-approve-brexit-deal-with-britain-eu-council-president-donald-tusk-179318">divorce deal approved by Britain and the European Union </a>on Sunday sets the stage for the end of a nearly 46-year marriage of convenience, built on prudence rather than shared dreams.

"It's been a utilitarian relationship since 1973 and the emphasis was always on the economic dimension, not on the political one," said Pauline Schnapper, professor of contemporary British history at the Sorbonne University in Paris.

"The sentimental dimension is near non-existent."

Britain was against joining the European project when it was conceived after the Second World War in a spirit of reconciliation.&nbsp;

"We didn't feel vulnerable enough to join," said Anand Menon, a professor of European politics at King's College London.

Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/this-is-the-only-possible-deal-may-on-brexit-179368">'This is the only possible deal': May on Brexit</a>

Instead, Britain preferred to focus on its special relationship with the United States and the remains of its empire.

London nevertheless supported the push for closer integration on the European continent and wartime prime minister Winston Churchill memorably called for the creation of a "United States of Europe" in a 1946 Zurich speech.

But in the early 1960s, Britain's fortunes changed for the worse. 
Its economic growth started lagging behind that of France and Germany, making the European single market on its doorstep seem an appealing option.

'I want my money back'

"The UK's leaders came to realise that the UK could not be outside what, by the 1960s, was fast becoming western Europe's leading organisation for economics, politics and non-traditional security matters," said Tim Oliver, lecturer at London's Loughborough University.

"The UK had to be inside it to shape it."&nbsp;

But joining the European project was not an easy task.

France's then-president Charles de Gaulle vetoed Britain's first application in 1961, seeing it as a "Trojan Horse" for the United States and doubting Britain's European spirit.

Another French veto followed in 1967 and the UK was only finally welcomed into the then European Economic Community (EEC) on January 1, 1973. 
Unfortunately for Britain, the first oil crisis struck the same year and the much-hoped-for economic boost failed to materialise.

Nevertheless, 67 per cent of the British people voted to remain in the EEC in a 1975 referendum.

But the result did little to temper euro scepticism in Britain, with politicians of all stripes reluctant to defend the project and the first crisis was not long in coming.&nbsp;

London refused in 1979 to participate in the European monetary system, defending its national and fiscal sovereignty.

It then resisted initiatives to deepen political integration, reinforcing the criticism that Britain had "one foot in, one foot out" of the project.

Britain notably refused in 1985 to participate in the Schengen agreement for free movement, and in 1993 to join the euro.&nbsp;

Its anti-federalist approach was spelt out by prime minister Margaret Thatcher during a 1988 speech at the College of Europe in Bruges.

In it, she rejected the idea of a "European super-state exercising a new dominance from Brussels".

The Conservative leader had four years earlier finally won a rebate on Britain's contribution to the European budget, making the infamous demand: "I want my money back".&nbsp;

'Illusionary' freedom

With deeper European political union in the 1990s, Britain's defiance towards Brussels accelerated, leading to the creation of the UK Independence Party (UKIP), which campaigned for the country's exit from the EU.

The party's success, particularly in the 2014 European Parliament elections when it topped the polls, pushed the Conservative-led government to harden its rhetoric.

The eurozone crisis, large-scale immigration from the EU and the refugee crisis of the past few years stoked the discontent, pushing prime minister David Cameron to call the June 2016 referendum.

For pro-Brexit supporters, the vote to leave the EU will mean Britain finally "taking back control" of its borders, laws and finances.

"They had a rather dreamlike situation since they were in the union, yet had opt-outs on a number of things," noted Pascale Joannin, executive director of the Robert Schuman Foundation, named after the French politician considered to be one of the "founding fathers" of the European Union.

"But now they will be outside the union's institutions without a voice, and they will have to adhere to a number of European regulations", he added.

The divorce deal approved by Britain and the European Union on Sunday sets the stage for the end of a nearly 46-year marriage of convenience, built on prudence rather than shared dreams.

The divorce deal approved by Britain and the European Union on Sunday sets the stage for the end of a nearly 46-year marriage of convenience, built on prudence rather than shared dreams. "It's been a utilitarian relationship since 1973 and the emphasis was always on the economic dimension, not on the political one," said Pauline Schnapper, professor of contemporary British history at the Sorbonne University in Paris. "The sentimental dimension is near non-existent." Britain was against joining the European project when it was conceived after the Second World War in a spirit of reconciliation. "We didn't feel vulnerable enough to join," said Anand Menon, a professor of European politics at King's College London. Also read: 'This is the only possible deal': May on Brexit Instead, Britain preferred to focus on its special relationship with the United States and the remains of its empire. London nevertheless supported the push for closer integration on the European continent and wartime prime minister Winston Churchill memorably called for the creation of a "United States of Europe" in a 1946 Zurich speech. But in the early 1960s, Britain's fortunes changed for the worse. Its economic growth started lagging behind that of France and Germany, making the European single market on its doorstep seem an appealing option. 'I want my money back' "The UK's leaders came to realise that the UK could not be outside what, by the 1960s, was fast becoming western Europe's leading organisation for economics, politics and non-traditional security matters," said Tim Oliver, lecturer at London's Loughborough University. "The UK had to be inside it to shape it." But joining the European project was not an easy task. France's then-president Charles de Gaulle vetoed Britain's first application in 1961, seeing it as a "Trojan Horse" for the United States and doubting Britain's European spirit. Another French veto followed in 1967 and the UK was only finally welcomed into the then European Economic Community (EEC) on January 1, 1973. Unfortunately for Britain, the first oil crisis struck the same year and the much-hoped-for economic boost failed to materialise. Nevertheless, 67 per cent of the British people voted to remain in the EEC in a 1975 referendum. But the result did little to temper euro scepticism in Britain, with politicians of all stripes reluctant to defend the project and the first crisis was not long in coming. London refused in 1979 to participate in the European monetary system, defending its national and fiscal sovereignty. It then resisted initiatives to deepen political integration, reinforcing the criticism that Britain had "one foot in, one foot out" of the project. Britain notably refused in 1985 to participate in the Schengen agreement for free movement, and in 1993 to join the euro. Its anti-federalist approach was spelt out by prime minister Margaret Thatcher during a 1988 speech at the College of Europe in Bruges. In it, she rejected the idea of a "European super-state exercising a new dominance from Brussels". The Conservative leader had four years earlier finally won a rebate on Britain's contribution to the European budget, making the infamous demand: "I want my money back". 'Illusionary' freedom With deeper European political union in the 1990s, Britain's defiance towards Brussels accelerated, leading to the creation of the UK Independence Party (UKIP), which campaigned for the country's exit from the EU. The party's success, particularly in the 2014 European Parliament elections when it topped the polls, pushed the Conservative-led government to harden its rhetoric. The eurozone crisis, large-scale immigration from the EU and the refugee crisis of the past few years stoked the discontent, pushing prime minister David Cameron to call the June 2016 referendum. For pro-Brexit supporters, the vote to leave the EU will mean Britain finally "taking back control" of its borders, laws and finances. "They had a rather dreamlike situation since they were in the union, yet had opt-outs on a number of things," noted Pascale Joannin, executive director of the Robert Schuman Foundation, named after the French politician considered to be one of the "founding fathers" of the European Union. "But now they will be outside the union's institutions without a voice, and they will have to adhere to a number of European regulations", he added.

Brexit deal: The end of a loveless 46-year marriage

British Prime Minister Theresa May declared Sunday that a Brexit deal struck with the European Union is the only one possible, urging MPs and the British public to get behind it.&nbsp;

"If people think there is somehow another negotiation to be done, that is not the case," she told reporters after EU leaders approved the divorce text.&nbsp;

"This is the deal that is on the table, this is the best possible deal, it's the only possible deal."&nbsp;

British Prime Minister Theresa May declared Sunday that a Brexit deal struck with the European Union is the only one possible, urging MPs and the British public to get behind it.

British Prime Minister Theresa May declared Sunday that a Brexit deal struck with the European Union is the only one possible, urging MPs and the British public to get behind it. "If people think there is somehow another negotiation to be done, that is not the case," she told reporters after EU leaders approved the divorce text. "This is the deal that is on the table, this is the best possible deal, it's the only possible deal."

'This is the only possible deal': May on Brexit

European Union leaders met Sunday to approve a historic Brexit deal, with one declaring Britain's withdrawal a "tragedy", but holding out hope of close future ties.

Arriving for a special summit in Brussels, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, head of the bloc's executive arm, said it was a "sad day".

"To see a country like Great Britain... leave the EU is not a moment of joy nor of celebration, it's a sad moment and it's a tragedy," he said.

Michel Barnier, the former French foreign minister who negotiated the deal on behalf of the bloc, added: "We will remain allies, partners and friends."

The leaders of the 27 EU states will approve the agreement before being joined by British Prime Minister Theresa May in a highly symbolic moment.

Forged during 17 months of tough negotiations, the deal covers financial matters, citizens' rights, Northern Ireland and a transition phase, and sets out hopes for future security and trade ties.

But it is not the final stage, as the House of Commons in London must still approve the deal before Brexit day on March 29, 2019 -- and many MPs have warned they will not back it.

Until the agreement is approved, all sides are still planning for the potentially disastrous possibility that Britain ends its four-decade EU membership with no new arrangements in place.

Media reports in London on Sunday suggested some of May's own ministers were secretly working with EU diplomats on a "Plan B" in case parliament rejected the agreement next month.

But Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte warned as he arrived in Brussels that there was little point in going back to the negotiating table.

"Overall, I think this is the max that we can all do, both Theresa May and her government as well as the European Union," he said.

"No victors here today, nobody winning, we’re all losing -- but given that context, this (agreement) is acceptable."

'Reduce risks and losses'

European Council President Donald Tusk, who has always said he would prefer Britain not to leave, said on the eve of the summit that "no-one will have reasons to be happy" when Brexit happens.

But he said terms had been agreed that would "reduce the risks and losses", and recommended that EU leaders sign off on the deal.

Lithuania president Dalia Grybauskaite said as she arrived: "We will endorse the Brexit agreement, but there is nothing good for any side because it is withdrawal from the EU."

In London, eurosceptics in May's Conservative party and their Northern Irish allies warn they will not support the agreement, which they argue keeps Britain too close to the EU.

But in an open "letter to the nation" on Sunday, May said it delivered on the 2016 referendum vote to leave, and was a "deal for a brighter future".

Britain remains deeply divided over the decision, but the prime minister said that finally leaving could be "a moment of renewal and reconciliation".

"To do that we need to get on with Brexit now by getting behind this deal," she said.

Gibraltar tensions

The summit risked being derailed by a late objection to the deal by Spain over the British territory of Gibraltar.

Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez threatened to reject it unless his country kept a veto over future changes to EU ties with "The Rock", which borders Spain and which it has long claimed.

The impasse was resolved when Britain promised to continue bilateral talks with Madrid after Brexit -- although that itself caused further tensions.

Sanchez claimed that discussions would cover the "co-sovereignty" of Gibraltar, something residents overwhelmingly rejected in a 2002 referendum.

May, who arrived in Brussels on Saturday evening for final talks with Tusk and Juncker, was quick to correct her Spanish counterpart.

"The UK's position on the sovereignty of Gibraltar has not changed and will not change," she said.

In legal terms, Spain's disapproval would not have halted the divorce settlement.

Fishing rights

But it would have been an embarrassing split for EU leaders who have proved remarkably united in the painful negotiations.

British MPs are most concerned about an arrangement in the withdrawal agreement to keep open the border between British Northern Ireland and Ireland, which could see the province follow EU rules for years.

But there are also concerns in EU capitals about fishing rights and commercial rules Britain must follow to maintain access to the bloc's markets.

A diplomatic source said the minutes of Sunday's summit meeting of the 27 leaders would record those concerns.

European Union leaders met Sunday to approve a historic Brexit deal, with one declaring Britain's withdrawal a "tragedy", but holding out hope of close future ties.

European Union leaders met Sunday to approve a historic Brexit deal, with one declaring Britain's withdrawal a "tragedy", but holding out hope of close future ties. Arriving for a special summit in Brussels, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, head of the bloc's executive arm, said it was a "sad day". "To see a country like Great Britain... leave the EU is not a moment of joy nor of celebration, it's a sad moment and it's a tragedy," he said. Michel Barnier, the former French foreign minister who negotiated the deal on behalf of the bloc, added: "We will remain allies, partners and friends." The leaders of the 27 EU states will approve the agreement before being joined by British Prime Minister Theresa May in a highly symbolic moment. Forged during 17 months of tough negotiations, the deal covers financial matters, citizens' rights, Northern Ireland and a transition phase, and sets out hopes for future security and trade ties. But it is not the final stage, as the House of Commons in London must still approve the deal before Brexit day on March 29, 2019 -- and many MPs have warned they will not back it. Until the agreement is approved, all sides are still planning for the potentially disastrous possibility that Britain ends its four-decade EU membership with no new arrangements in place. Media reports in London on Sunday suggested some of May's own ministers were secretly working with EU diplomats on a "Plan B" in case parliament rejected the agreement next month. But Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte warned as he arrived in Brussels that there was little point in going back to the negotiating table. "Overall, I think this is the max that we can all do, both Theresa May and her government as well as the European Union," he said. "No victors here today, nobody winning, we’re all losing -- but given that context, this (agreement) is acceptable." 'Reduce risks and losses' European Council President Donald Tusk, who has always said he would prefer Britain not to leave, said on the eve of the summit that "no-one will have reasons to be happy" when Brexit happens. But he said terms had been agreed that would "reduce the risks and losses", and recommended that EU leaders sign off on the deal. Lithuania president Dalia Grybauskaite said as she arrived: "We will endorse the Brexit agreement, but there is nothing good for any side because it is withdrawal from the EU." In London, eurosceptics in May's Conservative party and their Northern Irish allies warn they will not support the agreement, which they argue keeps Britain too close to the EU. But in an open "letter to the nation" on Sunday, May said it delivered on the 2016 referendum vote to leave, and was a "deal for a brighter future". Britain remains deeply divided over the decision, but the prime minister said that finally leaving could be "a moment of renewal and reconciliation". "To do that we need to get on with Brexit now by getting behind this deal," she said. Gibraltar tensions The summit risked being derailed by a late objection to the deal by Spain over the British territory of Gibraltar. Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez threatened to reject it unless his country kept a veto over future changes to EU ties with "The Rock", which borders Spain and which it has long claimed. The impasse was resolved when Britain promised to continue bilateral talks with Madrid after Brexit -- although that itself caused further tensions. Sanchez claimed that discussions would cover the "co-sovereignty" of Gibraltar, something residents overwhelmingly rejected in a 2002 referendum. May, who arrived in Brussels on Saturday evening for final talks with Tusk and Juncker, was quick to correct her Spanish counterpart. "The UK's position on the sovereignty of Gibraltar has not changed and will not change," she said. In legal terms, Spain's disapproval would not have halted the divorce settlement. Fishing rights But it would have been an embarrassing split for EU leaders who have proved remarkably united in the painful negotiations. British MPs are most concerned about an arrangement in the withdrawal agreement to keep open the border between British Northern Ireland and Ireland, which could see the province follow EU rules for years. But there are also concerns in EU capitals about fishing rights and commercial rules Britain must follow to maintain access to the bloc's markets. A diplomatic source said the minutes of Sunday's summit meeting of the 27 leaders would record those concerns.

European Union leaders to sign off 'tragic' Brexit deal

EU leaders gathered on Sunday to make a formal offer of a Brexit package deal to Prime Minister Theresa May that she and they hope can survive fury in the British parliament to ease Britain out of the bloc in March.

After 18 months of negotiation, including some last-minute brinkmanship from Spain seeking guarantees of a role in the future of Gibraltar, the 27 national leaders will endorse terms for withdrawal and an outline of future EU-UK ties at a tightly choreographed summit that will conclude with a visit from May.

The biggest question now facing the European Union is whether May's divided minority government can steer the deal, which foresees London following many EU rules to keep easy trade access, through fierce resistance in parliament in the coming weeks from both supporters and opponents of Brexit.

Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite, among the first to arrive, refused to be drawn on what might happen if the deal fails, saying it was up to British lawmakers to decide.

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, whose country is one Britain's closest trading partners, praised May's handling of the difficult negotiations and said he was confident that she could see the deal through the London parliament.

Saying the EU "hates" Brexit, Rutte said: "Nobody's winning -- we are all losing." But, he said, the deal was an acceptable compromise for all that gave May a chance to clinch a solution.

Grybauskaite said there were at least four possible outcomes if the British parliament blocks the package and named three - that Britons would hold a second referendum, hold a new election to replace May or return to Brussels to try and renegotiate the package. A fourth is that Britain will simply crash out of the bloc on March 29 without legal clarity.

Both sides have been making preparations for such a "no deal" scenario, though the EU insists Britain has more to lose. The pound has strengthened since the deal came together over the past 10 days, but companies and investors remain nervous.

Summit chair Donald Tusk said "no one will have reasons to be happy" when Brexit is concluded but quoted British rock star Freddie Mercury of Queen, who died 27 years ago on Saturday, to say: "Friends will be friends right till the end."

The 27 EU national leaders will gather for an hour or so to formally endorse both a detailed treaty setting out the terms on which Britain will leave in an orderly manner in March and a declaration outlining how Britain can keep close to its biggest market by following many EU rules after a 2-4-year transition.

They will then meet May briefly as she seeks momentum to get the package through the British parliament in the coming weeks.

British opposition

The Democratic Unionist Party, whose votes from Northern Ireland have helped May to govern since she lost her majority in a misjudged snap election last year, said it would try to block a Brexit deal it called "pitiful" - partly because it binds London to many EU rules it will no longer help set and partly as the DUP fears it could weaken the province's ties to Britain.

No one knows what will happen if parliament rejects May's plan, which she and EU leaders say is the best deal available.

In an open letter to the nation, published on Sunday, May said she would campaign "heart and soul" to get her Brexit deal through: "It will be a deal that is in our national interest – one that works for our whole country and all of our people, whether you voted Leave or Remain," she said.

Sunday newspapers said different factions in her own Conservative party were preparing alternative plans to keep Britain closer to the EU should her deal fail as many expect.

Wrangling over how to keep open troubled Northern Ireland's land border with the EU without creating disruptive customs barriers with the Irish Republic dogged much of the 18 months of talks before accords were struck this month. Another relic of the imperial past, Britain's 300-year-old naval base on Spain's southern coast, threatened to derail plans at the last minute.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez threatened to boycott Sunday's meeting if he did not get amendments to the deal to ensure Madrid gets a say in Gibraltar's future ties with the EU.

After officials wrangled through the night, he announced on Saturday afternoon that he had such written pledges. Brussels officials said those essentially confirmed what most EU leaders had already understood - that Spain must have a binding say over how any future EU-UK trade pact might affect Gibraltar.

May will meet Sanchez for face-to-face talks during the summit, officials said.

EU leaders gathered on Sunday to make a formal offer of a Brexit package deal to Prime Minister Theresa May that she and they hope can survive fury in the British parliament to ease Britain out of the bloc in March.

EU leaders gathered on Sunday to make a formal offer of a Brexit package deal to Prime Minister Theresa May that she and they hope can survive fury in the British parliament to ease Britain out of the bloc in March. After 18 months of negotiation, including some last-minute brinkmanship from Spain seeking guarantees of a role in the future of Gibraltar, the 27 national leaders will endorse terms for withdrawal and an outline of future EU-UK ties at a tightly choreographed summit that will conclude with a visit from May. The biggest question now facing the European Union is whether May's divided minority government can steer the deal, which foresees London following many EU rules to keep easy trade access, through fierce resistance in parliament in the coming weeks from both supporters and opponents of Brexit. Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite, among the first to arrive, refused to be drawn on what might happen if the deal fails, saying it was up to British lawmakers to decide. Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, whose country is one Britain's closest trading partners, praised May's handling of the difficult negotiations and said he was confident that she could see the deal through the London parliament. Saying the EU "hates" Brexit, Rutte said: "Nobody's winning -- we are all losing." But, he said, the deal was an acceptable compromise for all that gave May a chance to clinch a solution. Grybauskaite said there were at least four possible outcomes if the British parliament blocks the package and named three - that Britons would hold a second referendum, hold a new election to replace May or return to Brussels to try and renegotiate the package. A fourth is that Britain will simply crash out of the bloc on March 29 without legal clarity. Both sides have been making preparations for such a "no deal" scenario, though the EU insists Britain has more to lose. The pound has strengthened since the deal came together over the past 10 days, but companies and investors remain nervous. Summit chair Donald Tusk said "no one will have reasons to be happy" when Brexit is concluded but quoted British rock star Freddie Mercury of Queen, who died 27 years ago on Saturday, to say: "Friends will be friends right till the end." The 27 EU national leaders will gather for an hour or so to formally endorse both a detailed treaty setting out the terms on which Britain will leave in an orderly manner in March and a declaration outlining how Britain can keep close to its biggest market by following many EU rules after a 2-4-year transition. They will then meet May briefly as she seeks momentum to get the package through the British parliament in the coming weeks. British opposition The Democratic Unionist Party, whose votes from Northern Ireland have helped May to govern since she lost her majority in a misjudged snap election last year, said it would try to block a Brexit deal it called "pitiful" - partly because it binds London to many EU rules it will no longer help set and partly as the DUP fears it could weaken the province's ties to Britain. No one knows what will happen if parliament rejects May's plan, which she and EU leaders say is the best deal available. In an open letter to the nation, published on Sunday, May said she would campaign "heart and soul" to get her Brexit deal through: "It will be a deal that is in our national interest – one that works for our whole country and all of our people, whether you voted Leave or Remain," she said. Sunday newspapers said different factions in her own Conservative party were preparing alternative plans to keep Britain closer to the EU should her deal fail as many expect. Wrangling over how to keep open troubled Northern Ireland's land border with the EU without creating disruptive customs barriers with the Irish Republic dogged much of the 18 months of talks before accords were struck this month. Another relic of the imperial past, Britain's 300-year-old naval base on Spain's southern coast, threatened to derail plans at the last minute. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez threatened to boycott Sunday's meeting if he did not get amendments to the deal to ensure Madrid gets a say in Gibraltar's future ties with the EU. After officials wrangled through the night, he announced on Saturday afternoon that he had such written pledges. Brussels officials said those essentially confirmed what most EU leaders had already understood - that Spain must have a binding say over how any future EU-UK trade pact might affect Gibraltar. May will meet Sanchez for face-to-face talks during the summit, officials said.

European Union leaders to hand UK PM Theresa May Brexit package

Opposition to a draft Brexit deal due to be approved by EU leaders will dominate a conference on Saturday of the Democratic Unionist Party, the Northern Irish party whose support is vital to Prime Minister Theresa May's government and Brexit plans.

Britain's former foreign minister Boris Johnson, a staunch critic of the deal, will be attending -- along with Fabian Picardo, Chief Minister of Gibraltar, which is at the heart of a row that could also undermine Sunday's EU summit.

The DUP has propped up Prime Minister Theresa May's government ever since an election in 2017 in which her Conservatives lost their majority and were forced to turn to the right-wingers for help.

But that support is hanging by a thread over the party's opposition to May's draft deal with the European Union, which it believes will lead to a different economic status for the British province compared to the mainland.

All eyes will therefore be on Belfast for the party's annual meeting, where British finance minister Philip Hammond, who backs May's deal, is also expected, highlighting the central role the DUP now plays.

Seeds of divergence

Party leader Arlene Foster will insist that the government "must implement the referendum result of 2016" and "we must leave as one nation," according to extracts released by the party.

Foster will tell May that the draft agreement "fails her own key commitments" but will hold off on withdrawing the party's support for her, according to the extracts.

"As things stand we would be sowing the seeds of inevitable economic divergence from our largest market," she will add, while paying tribute to May's "determined efforts" in more conciliatory comments.

The DUP is in favour of British rule in Northern Ireland, and fears that any weakening of the bonds with the rest of the country could increase the chances of a unified Ireland.

It has fought bitterly to prevent that happening, with its hardline tactics forged in the decades-long Troubles, which came to an end with the 1998 Good Friday Agreement.

Johnson is also at odds with his Conservative Party boss May, and shares the DUP's dissatisfaction with the Brexit deal, with both promising to vote it down if and when the agreement comes to parliament next month as expected.

The DUP's 10 MPs have been ferocious opponents to the "backstop" clause struck by British and EU negotiators to act as a legal guarantee for keeping the border between British Northern Ireland and EU member Ireland open.

May courts business

May met with Northern Ireland business leaders on Thursday in an effort to put pressure on the DUP to support the deal.

After the meeting, business boss Stephen Kelly from Northern Ireland Manufacturing, a lobby, said he hoped "that not just the DUP but all parties" would support the deal.

The party campaigned in favour of Brexit but is also faced with public concern in Northern Ireland about the prospect of a reimposition of a hard border.

The self-styled "Christian fundamentalist" party has softened its fiery anti-Catholicism and other harsh stances since it was founded by Protestant evangelical minister Ian Paisley in 1971.

But it still holds tight to what critics call its puritanical views, particularly on social issues such as abortion.

£1 billion for deal

The party was thrust into the spotlight after May's disastrous performance in last year's general election, when she was forced to seek their help to form a government.

The agreement came at the price of a promise of £1.0 billion (1.1 billion euros, $1.3 billion) in extra funding for Northern Ireland -- around half of which has been disbursed.

Its influence has prompted warnings that a disrupted balance of power in Belfast could harm the delicate peace struck after decades of sectarian conflict in Northern Ireland.

Irish republicans Sinn Fein have blamed the London power deal for the failure to restart a power-sharing executive with the DUP in Northern Ireland.

That arrangement collapsed in January 2017 because of a row over Foster's handling of a botched renewable heating funding scheme.

Opposition to a draft Brexit deal due to be approved by EU leaders will dominate a conference on Saturday of the Democratic Unionist Party, the Northern Irish party whose support is vital to Prime Minister Theresa May's government and Brexit plans.

Opposition to a draft Brexit deal due to be approved by EU leaders will dominate a conference on Saturday of the Democratic Unionist Party, the Northern Irish party whose support is vital to Prime Minister Theresa May's government and Brexit plans. Britain's former foreign minister Boris Johnson, a staunch critic of the deal, will be attending -- along with Fabian Picardo, Chief Minister of Gibraltar, which is at the heart of a row that could also undermine Sunday's EU summit. The DUP has propped up Prime Minister Theresa May's government ever since an election in 2017 in which her Conservatives lost their majority and were forced to turn to the right-wingers for help. But that support is hanging by a thread over the party's opposition to May's draft deal with the European Union, which it believes will lead to a different economic status for the British province compared to the mainland. All eyes will therefore be on Belfast for the party's annual meeting, where British finance minister Philip Hammond, who backs May's deal, is also expected, highlighting the central role the DUP now plays. Seeds of divergence Party leader Arlene Foster will insist that the government "must implement the referendum result of 2016" and "we must leave as one nation," according to extracts released by the party. Foster will tell May that the draft agreement "fails her own key commitments" but will hold off on withdrawing the party's support for her, according to the extracts. "As things stand we would be sowing the seeds of inevitable economic divergence from our largest market," she will add, while paying tribute to May's "determined efforts" in more conciliatory comments. The DUP is in favour of British rule in Northern Ireland, and fears that any weakening of the bonds with the rest of the country could increase the chances of a unified Ireland. It has fought bitterly to prevent that happening, with its hardline tactics forged in the decades-long Troubles, which came to an end with the 1998 Good Friday Agreement. Johnson is also at odds with his Conservative Party boss May, and shares the DUP's dissatisfaction with the Brexit deal, with both promising to vote it down if and when the agreement comes to parliament next month as expected. The DUP's 10 MPs have been ferocious opponents to the "backstop" clause struck by British and EU negotiators to act as a legal guarantee for keeping the border between British Northern Ireland and EU member Ireland open. May courts business May met with Northern Ireland business leaders on Thursday in an effort to put pressure on the DUP to support the deal. After the meeting, business boss Stephen Kelly from Northern Ireland Manufacturing, a lobby, said he hoped "that not just the DUP but all parties" would support the deal. The party campaigned in favour of Brexit but is also faced with public concern in Northern Ireland about the prospect of a reimposition of a hard border. The self-styled "Christian fundamentalist" party has softened its fiery anti-Catholicism and other harsh stances since it was founded by Protestant evangelical minister Ian Paisley in 1971. But it still holds tight to what critics call its puritanical views, particularly on social issues such as abortion. £1 billion for deal The party was thrust into the spotlight after May's disastrous performance in last year's general election, when she was forced to seek their help to form a government. The agreement came at the price of a promise of £1.0 billion (1.1 billion euros, $1.3 billion) in extra funding for Northern Ireland -- around half of which has been disbursed. Its influence has prompted warnings that a disrupted balance of power in Belfast could harm the delicate peace struck after decades of sectarian conflict in Northern Ireland. Irish republicans Sinn Fein have blamed the London power deal for the failure to restart a power-sharing executive with the DUP in Northern Ireland. That arrangement collapsed in January 2017 because of a row over Foster's handling of a botched renewable heating funding scheme.

Brexit deal critics gather in Belfast on eve of EU summit

Spain was standing between Theresa May and a Brexit deal as it threatened to derail an EU summit on Sunday if it does not get new assurances on having a say in the future of <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/explainer-what-you-need-to-know-about-gibraltar-in-brexit-talks-178603">Gibraltar</a>.

As talks among Spanish, British and EU officials continued on Saturday, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said he was ready to thwart his British counterpart May's hopes of seeing EU leaders sign off on promises of close ties with London after Britain leaves the bloc in March if he did not get his way.

EU diplomats and officials said there was still no clear breakthrough on Saturday morning, hours before some of the other leaders must set off for Brussels ahead of Sunday's breakfast summit -- few will be happy if plans change.

Brussels diplomats and representatives of other governments across Europe said they did not believe Madrid would upset the careful choreography of Sunday's summitry, when May and her 27 EU peers will fly in for a couple of hours in the morning. But they also heard strong words from Spanish ministers that left them unwilling to call Sanchez's bluff without further talks.

On a visit to Cuba, Sanchez said he had yet to receive assurances that any future decisions on Gibraltar would be decided in direct talks between London and Madrid.

"The guarantees are still not enough and Spain maintains its veto to Brexit. If there is a deal, then it will be lifted," he said when it was already late on Friday in Europe. "If there is no deal ... the European Council will most likely not take place."

Spain can expect its European allies to swing more clearly behind its 300-year-old claims to sovereignty over "The Rock", a British naval base on its southern coast that is home to some 30,000 people whose economy faces major questions after Brexit.

But demands that extensive treaty documentation recently agreed between Brussels and London be tweaked to give Spain a bigger say over its implementation in regard to Gibraltar face resistance from Britain and EU allies who are wary that the whole edifice of the long-negotiated deal might unravel.

"Proud People"

Diplomats said there was no doubting the passion behind the Spanish arguments when advisers to the 27 EU leaders met in Brussels on Friday to prepare the summit: "The Spanish are very proud people and this is absolutely important for them," one participant in the talks told Reuters.

"We have to have a solution. I am quite sure we will have one."

Some in Brussels stress that Sanchez is fighting a regional election in Andalusia, the province that abuts Gibraltar, next weekend and may want to play up the issue for home consumption.

For him to force the cancellation of the summit, or drag it out beyond the morning, would incur the wrath of his peers.

May is due to meet EU chief executive Jean-Claude Juncker on Saturday at 6 pm (1700 GMT), and diplomats say that should be the moment they confirm that the Gibraltar issue is settled. May will then meet summit chair Donald Tusk.

In Germany, a government spokesman was confident a solution would be found in time for Sunday's summit.

Berlin had earlier said there could be no more technical negotiations at the summit, and that Chancellor Angela Merkel could skip it if all the texts are not ready in advance.

The biggest obstacle to the Brexit accord overall is the vehement opposition in the British parliament. Without its approval, Britain could leave the bloc on March 29 without an agreement to mitigate economic and legal disruption.

Spain was standing between Theresa May and a Brexit deal as it threatened to derail an EU summit on Sunday if it does not get new assurances on having a say in the future of Gibraltar.

Spain was standing between Theresa May and a Brexit deal as it threatened to derail an EU summit on Sunday if it does not get new assurances on having a say in the future of Gibraltar. As talks among Spanish, British and EU officials continued on Saturday, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said he was ready to thwart his British counterpart May's hopes of seeing EU leaders sign off on promises of close ties with London after Britain leaves the bloc in March if he did not get his way. EU diplomats and officials said there was still no clear breakthrough on Saturday morning, hours before some of the other leaders must set off for Brussels ahead of Sunday's breakfast summit -- few will be happy if plans change. Brussels diplomats and representatives of other governments across Europe said they did not believe Madrid would upset the careful choreography of Sunday's summitry, when May and her 27 EU peers will fly in for a couple of hours in the morning. But they also heard strong words from Spanish ministers that left them unwilling to call Sanchez's bluff without further talks. On a visit to Cuba, Sanchez said he had yet to receive assurances that any future decisions on Gibraltar would be decided in direct talks between London and Madrid. "The guarantees are still not enough and Spain maintains its veto to Brexit. If there is a deal, then it will be lifted," he said when it was already late on Friday in Europe. "If there is no deal ... the European Council will most likely not take place." Spain can expect its European allies to swing more clearly behind its 300-year-old claims to sovereignty over "The Rock", a British naval base on its southern coast that is home to some 30,000 people whose economy faces major questions after Brexit. But demands that extensive treaty documentation recently agreed between Brussels and London be tweaked to give Spain a bigger say over its implementation in regard to Gibraltar face resistance from Britain and EU allies who are wary that the whole edifice of the long-negotiated deal might unravel. "Proud People" Diplomats said there was no doubting the passion behind the Spanish arguments when advisers to the 27 EU leaders met in Brussels on Friday to prepare the summit: "The Spanish are very proud people and this is absolutely important for them," one participant in the talks told Reuters. "We have to have a solution. I am quite sure we will have one." Some in Brussels stress that Sanchez is fighting a regional election in Andalusia, the province that abuts Gibraltar, next weekend and may want to play up the issue for home consumption. For him to force the cancellation of the summit, or drag it out beyond the morning, would incur the wrath of his peers. May is due to meet EU chief executive Jean-Claude Juncker on Saturday at 6 pm (1700 GMT), and diplomats say that should be the moment they confirm that the Gibraltar issue is settled. May will then meet summit chair Donald Tusk. In Germany, a government spokesman was confident a solution would be found in time for Sunday's summit. Berlin had earlier said there could be no more technical negotiations at the summit, and that Chancellor Angela Merkel could skip it if all the texts are not ready in advance. The biggest obstacle to the Brexit accord overall is the vehement opposition in the British parliament. Without its approval, Britain could leave the bloc on March 29 without an agreement to mitigate economic and legal disruption.

Spain bars May's way to Brussels Brexit deal

British Prime Minister Theresa May was headed back to Brussels on Saturday to defend the planned Brexit divorce deal even as Spain threatened to boycott an EU summit meant to endorse it.

May has final day talks scheduled with EU leaders Jean-Claude Juncker and Donald Tusk, although diplomats said the withdrawal agreement is finished and ready for EU leaders to approve on Sunday.

Nothing in the painful 17-month withdrawal process has gone smoothly, and on Friday, Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez warned he might not attend if the leaders do not acknowledge that Madrid holds a veto over the fate of Gibraltar in any post-Brexit negotiation of new EU-UK ties.

Visiting Cuba, Sanchez said that Madrid must be allowed to negotiate directly with London on Gibraltar and give its specific assent to any changes to its relationship to the European Union in a future agreement between Britain and Brussels. &nbsp;

"If there's no agreement, it's very clear what will happen, there very probably won't be a European Council" summit, he said.

Gibraltar, a tiny rocky outcrop home to a port and around 30,000 people, is a British territory claimed by Spain and will be a bone of contention as London negotiates a new relationship with Brussels after Brexit day on March 29.&nbsp;

Luis Marco Aguiriano Nalda, Spain's secretary of state for European affairs, said Madrid wanted London to put in writing that it shared Madrid's interpretation of the negotiated Brexit deal texts regarding its stance on Gibraltar.

"We have demanded that it be published by the British authorities before the European Council on Sunday," said in Brussels.

In London, however, a Downing Street source said he did not know what document Aguiriano could be referring to and added: "We have negotiated on behalf of the whole of the UK family. That includes Gibraltar and the overseas territories."

In legal terms, Spain's disapproval would not halt the divorce settlement, but it would embarrass EU leaders keen to show that the 27 are united.

More uncertainty

And, as Aguiriano noted, any final relationship negotiated between London and Brussels after Brexit day on March 29 would have to be approved by all remaining member states -- giving Spain a de facto veto further down the line.

May is due in Brussels later on Saturday to see EU Commission president Juncker, head of the bloc's executive, and EU Council president Tusk, whose institution represents the member states.

But European diplomats told AFP no more substantive negotiations would take place and Sunday's summit would simply see leaders sign off on the fruit of 17 months of dialogue.

A European diplomat said the meeting's minutes would include language stressing the importance of Britain maintaining a level playing field in trade rules during the 21-month post-Brexit transition, and on fishing rights.

And the summit will make it clear that the European Council would take the lead over the Commission in negotiating future ties -- another measure to reassure Madrid that its voice will be heard before any final settlement is reached.

After that, May will still have to sell the deal to the British Parliament, an even greater political challenge.

May refused to say whether she would resign if parliament eventually votes down the divorce agreement that the EU is set to endorse on Sunday, alongside a shorter political framework to guide talks on future ties.

"If this deal does not go through, we are back at square one. What we end up with is more division and more uncertainty," she warned.&nbsp;

British Prime Minister Theresa May was headed back to Brussels on Saturday to defend the planned Brexit divorce deal even as Spain threatened to boycott an EU summit meant to endorse it.

British Prime Minister Theresa May was headed back to Brussels on Saturday to defend the planned Brexit divorce deal even as Spain threatened to boycott an EU summit meant to endorse it. May has final day talks scheduled with EU leaders Jean-Claude Juncker and Donald Tusk, although diplomats said the withdrawal agreement is finished and ready for EU leaders to approve on Sunday. Nothing in the painful 17-month withdrawal process has gone smoothly, and on Friday, Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez warned he might not attend if the leaders do not acknowledge that Madrid holds a veto over the fate of Gibraltar in any post-Brexit negotiation of new EU-UK ties. Visiting Cuba, Sanchez said that Madrid must be allowed to negotiate directly with London on Gibraltar and give its specific assent to any changes to its relationship to the European Union in a future agreement between Britain and Brussels. "If there's no agreement, it's very clear what will happen, there very probably won't be a European Council" summit, he said. Gibraltar, a tiny rocky outcrop home to a port and around 30,000 people, is a British territory claimed by Spain and will be a bone of contention as London negotiates a new relationship with Brussels after Brexit day on March 29. Luis Marco Aguiriano Nalda, Spain's secretary of state for European affairs, said Madrid wanted London to put in writing that it shared Madrid's interpretation of the negotiated Brexit deal texts regarding its stance on Gibraltar. "We have demanded that it be published by the British authorities before the European Council on Sunday," said in Brussels. In London, however, a Downing Street source said he did not know what document Aguiriano could be referring to and added: "We have negotiated on behalf of the whole of the UK family. That includes Gibraltar and the overseas territories." In legal terms, Spain's disapproval would not halt the divorce settlement, but it would embarrass EU leaders keen to show that the 27 are united. More uncertainty And, as Aguiriano noted, any final relationship negotiated between London and Brussels after Brexit day on March 29 would have to be approved by all remaining member states -- giving Spain a de facto veto further down the line. May is due in Brussels later on Saturday to see EU Commission president Juncker, head of the bloc's executive, and EU Council president Tusk, whose institution represents the member states. But European diplomats told AFP no more substantive negotiations would take place and Sunday's summit would simply see leaders sign off on the fruit of 17 months of dialogue. A European diplomat said the meeting's minutes would include language stressing the importance of Britain maintaining a level playing field in trade rules during the 21-month post-Brexit transition, and on fishing rights. And the summit will make it clear that the European Council would take the lead over the Commission in negotiating future ties -- another measure to reassure Madrid that its voice will be heard before any final settlement is reached. After that, May will still have to sell the deal to the British Parliament, an even greater political challenge. May refused to say whether she would resign if parliament eventually votes down the divorce agreement that the EU is set to endorse on Sunday, alongside a shorter political framework to guide talks on future ties. "If this deal does not go through, we are back at square one. What we end up with is more division and more uncertainty," she warned.

British PM Theresa May heads to Brussels as Spain threatens Brexit summit

Prime Minister Theresa May said on Friday the European Union would not renegotiate the Brexit deal if Britain's parliament rejected the current version of the exit agreement.

"I believe if we were to go back to the European Union and say `well people didn`t like that deal, can we have another one?` ... I don`t think they`re going to come to us and say we`ll give you a better deal," she told BBC radio during a question and answer session with listeners.

Questioned repeatedly over whether she would resign if she loses a vote to approve the deal, expected in mid-December, she said her focus was on getting it through at the first attempt and not on her own future.&nbsp;

Prime Minister Theresa May said on Friday the European Union would not renegotiate the Brexit deal if Britain's parliament rejected the current version of the exit agreement.

Prime Minister Theresa May said on Friday the European Union would not renegotiate the Brexit deal if Britain's parliament rejected the current version of the exit agreement. "I believe if we were to go back to the European Union and say `well people didn`t like that deal, can we have another one?` ... I don`t think they`re going to come to us and say we`ll give you a better deal," she told BBC radio during a question and answer session with listeners. Questioned repeatedly over whether she would resign if she loses a vote to approve the deal, expected in mid-December, she said her focus was on getting it through at the first attempt and not on her own future.

EU won't give us better Brexit deal if parliament rejects current one: UK PM Theresa May

As the Brexit negotiations head towards an endgame, there is turmoil all around. British politics is on knife’s edge with the future of Prime Minister Theresa May and in some ways the entire Conservative Party on the line. The Opposition, too, is struggling to put its own house in order and even the European Union is facing disunity within its ranks despite pretensions of a united front.&nbsp;

Last week, an agreement on the withdrawal deal was reached in principle by May and the European Union (EU) which included a £39 billion “divorce bill” and the controversial customs “backstop” which keeps the UK temporarily in the EU customs union so as to prevent the return of manned customs posts at the Irish border. However, the joint political declaration on future relations which is to be confirmed on Sunday is only temporary. It will be the 21-month transition period after Britain leaves the EU on March 29, 2019, that would see the finalisation of the binding agreement. And this has led to challenges from all sides.

May is struggling to finalise a Brexit deal to be agreed at this Sunday’s summit of European leaders even as she is under pressure from her own MPs not to cede any further ground in negotiations. For the time being, her threat is that she has managed to get the best possible deal from the EU and that it’s either this deal or no deal and, therefore, no Brexit that has secured her position. But there is a demand for more clarity on all sides of the British Parliament about the exact terms of UK’s future engagement with the EU if at all the Parliament is to support the deal.&nbsp;

Despite a number of resignations from her cabinet and backroom manoeuvring to topple her from No 10 Downing Street, May looks stronger today than she looked last week and that’s a tribute to her own political skills and quite an accomplishment under the present circumstances. Yet her critics remain unrelenting. One of her strongest detractors, Jacob Rees-Mogg, has made a case that the time has come for May’s detractors to push for a confidence vote in May or face the spectacle of her leading the Tories into the next election. But he has accepted that he doesn’t have the required threshold of 48 letters needed to trigger a contest for Tory leadership. Opinion polls are also underscoring that support for May is growing among the British populace which is looking for a speedy resolution of this crisis. &nbsp;

On the other side, the EU had to complete the text on future ties with the UK on Tuesday but several member states have raised objection, leading to a delay. Countries have highlighted several issues such as UK access to the EU single market, access to UK waters for EU boats as well as Gibraltar. Spain, which is worried about the future status of Gibraltar, has warned it will reject the draft Brexit withdrawal deal without a clarification of the text on future talks on the status of Gibraltar. France has raised concerns about fishing rights and nations as the Netherlands and Denmark, remain concerned about the potential competitive advantage to UK businesses over the European without the UK being tied to strict environmental regulations.

Despite these concerns, Brussels would be hoping that when it would come to the crunch on Sunday, all 27 member nations of the EU would sign up to the Brexit deal so as to avoid a situation where there is a no deal and further uncertainty haunts the region. And in some ways, it is in EU’s interest that the British Prime Minister gets her plan approved by the British Parliament. A domestic political crisis in the UK is not in EU’s interest at this critical juncture. May also wants to demonstrate that she is fighting hard to secure British interests. So in a way, both May and the EU are sailing in the same boat.&nbsp;

As Britain struggles with its future relationship with the EU, its outreach to nations like India has been growing in order to seek out new avenues for economic relationships. British officials have been signalling that Brexit could augur well for trade ties between India and the EU as the two nations would find it easier to conclude a free trade pact without the involvement of the entire panoply of EU member states.&nbsp;

The economic relationship between the UK and India certainly remains a robust one. While the two nations can look forward to a potential FTA, the negotiations can only proceed once the UK has put its own house in order. India will also be looking for concessions on Indian skilled labour accessing UK markets.&nbsp;

The challenge for the UK at the moment is to sort out its own internal deliberations on the future of its trajectory with the EU. New Delhi will assess its own future with the UK in light of the choices London makes with Brussels.

(This article was originally published on DNA. Read the <a href="https://www.dnaindia.com/analysis/column-brexit-a-challenge-for-uk-an-opportunity-for-india-2688308">original article</a>)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL) 
&nbsp;

As the Brexit negotiations head towards an endgame, there is turmoil all around. British politics is on knife’s edge with the future of Prime Minister Theresa May and in some ways the entire Conservative Party on the line.

As the Brexit negotiations head towards an endgame, there is turmoil all around. British politics is on knife’s edge with the future of Prime Minister Theresa May and in some ways the entire Conservative Party on the line. The Opposition, too, is struggling to put its own house in order and even the European Union is facing disunity within its ranks despite pretensions of a united front. Last week, an agreement on the withdrawal deal was reached in principle by May and the European Union (EU) which included a £39 billion “divorce bill” and the controversial customs “backstop” which keeps the UK temporarily in the EU customs union so as to prevent the return of manned customs posts at the Irish border. However, the joint political declaration on future relations which is to be confirmed on Sunday is only temporary. It will be the 21-month transition period after Britain leaves the EU on March 29, 2019, that would see the finalisation of the binding agreement. And this has led to challenges from all sides. May is struggling to finalise a Brexit deal to be agreed at this Sunday’s summit of European leaders even as she is under pressure from her own MPs not to cede any further ground in negotiations. For the time being, her threat is that she has managed to get the best possible deal from the EU and that it’s either this deal or no deal and, therefore, no Brexit that has secured her position. But there is a demand for more clarity on all sides of the British Parliament about the exact terms of UK’s future engagement with the EU if at all the Parliament is to support the deal. Despite a number of resignations from her cabinet and backroom manoeuvring to topple her from No 10 Downing Street, May looks stronger today than she looked last week and that’s a tribute to her own political skills and quite an accomplishment under the present circumstances. Yet her critics remain unrelenting. One of her strongest detractors, Jacob Rees-Mogg, has made a case that the time has come for May’s detractors to push for a confidence vote in May or face the spectacle of her leading the Tories into the next election. But he has accepted that he doesn’t have the required threshold of 48 letters needed to trigger a contest for Tory leadership. Opinion polls are also underscoring that support for May is growing among the British populace which is looking for a speedy resolution of this crisis. On the other side, the EU had to complete the text on future ties with the UK on Tuesday but several member states have raised objection, leading to a delay. Countries have highlighted several issues such as UK access to the EU single market, access to UK waters for EU boats as well as Gibraltar. Spain, which is worried about the future status of Gibraltar, has warned it will reject the draft Brexit withdrawal deal without a clarification of the text on future talks on the status of Gibraltar. France has raised concerns about fishing rights and nations as the Netherlands and Denmark, remain concerned about the potential competitive advantage to UK businesses over the European without the UK being tied to strict environmental regulations. Despite these concerns, Brussels would be hoping that when it would come to the crunch on Sunday, all 27 member nations of the EU would sign up to the Brexit deal so as to avoid a situation where there is a no deal and further uncertainty haunts the region. And in some ways, it is in EU’s interest that the British Prime Minister gets her plan approved by the British Parliament. A domestic political crisis in the UK is not in EU’s interest at this critical juncture. May also wants to demonstrate that she is fighting hard to secure British interests. So in a way, both May and the EU are sailing in the same boat. As Britain struggles with its future relationship with the EU, its outreach to nations like India has been growing in order to seek out new avenues for economic relationships. British officials have been signalling that Brexit could augur well for trade ties between India and the EU as the two nations would find it easier to conclude a free trade pact without the involvement of the entire panoply of EU member states. The economic relationship between the UK and India certainly remains a robust one. While the two nations can look forward to a potential FTA, the negotiations can only proceed once the UK has put its own house in order. India will also be looking for concessions on Indian skilled labour accessing UK markets. The challenge for the UK at the moment is to sort out its own internal deliberations on the future of its trajectory with the EU. New Delhi will assess its own future with the UK in light of the choices London makes with Brussels. (This article was originally published on DNA. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Brexit: A challenge for UK, an opportunity for India

From the shock Brexit vote to British and EU negotiators agreeing a draft divorce deal and an outline of post-Brexit ties, here are the milestones on Britain's rocky road out of the European Union.

Britons vote to leave

In a referendum Britons on June 23, 2016 choose to end their membership of the EU by 52 percent to 48 percent.

The result prompts the resignation the next day of Conservative prime minister David Cameron, who had called the referendum and led the campaign to remain in the EU.

In a race to replace him, Brexit campaigner Boris Johnson withdraws at the last minute and Theresa May, Cameron's interior minister for six years, becomes prime minister on July 11.

Clean break

On January 17, 2017 May gives a major speech setting out her Brexit strategy, saying Britain will also leave Europe's single market.

On March 13 Britain's parliament gives final approval to a bill empowering May to trigger Article 50 of the EU treaty which lays out the process for leaving the union.

Exit process triggered

With a letter to EU President Donald Tusk on March 29 formally announcing the intention to leave, the government sets in motion Article 50.

Its two-year timetable for withdrawal is set to wind up by March 29, 2019.

Lost majority

To capitalise on the perceived weakness of the opposition Labour party and strengthen her hand in Brexit negotiations, May calls a snap election for June 8.

Her gamble backfires as the Conservatives lose their parliamentary majority. They are forced to strike a deal with Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) to be able to govern.

The issue of British guarantees to keep an open border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland after Brexit becomes a key sticking point in negotiations.

First terms agreed

Britain and the EU reach a deal on some key terms of the divorce in early December 2017 after all-night negotiations. They include Britain's EU bill as part of the settlement.

EU leaders give the go-ahead for the next stage of Brexit talks, including on how Britain will continue to trade with the bloc after the split.

Brexit bill passed

A bill enacting the decision to leave the EU becomes law on June 26, 2018, following months of debate and after receiving the formal assent of Queen Elizabeth II.

The bill transfers decades of European law onto British statute books and enshrines "Brexit day" as March 29, 2019.

Top ministers quit

On July 6 May wins agreement from her warring cabinet to pursue "a UK-EU free trade area" that would retain a strong alignment with the EU after Brexit.

Two days later David Davis, the eurosceptic Brexit minister, quits as does his deputy. May is giving "too much away too easily", Davis says.

In a major blow, Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson also resigns on July 9, having criticised the Brexit blueprint in private, and becomes a leading critic of May's plans.

Draft divorce deal agreed

The European Union on November 13 publishes contingency plans for a "no-deal" Brexit.

But a few hours later, May's office says negotiating teams have reached a draft agreement for a Brexit. 
On November 14 the cabinet meets over the draft for more than five hours. May says afterwards it had made a "collective decision" to give its backing.

Rebellion

On November 15 four ministers, including Brexit secretary Dominic Raab, quit in protest at the exit deal, which May defends to parliament ahead of a December vote on it.

EU President Donald Tusk confirms the bloc will hold a special summit to seal the agreement on November 25.

Outline on future ties

British and EU negotiators strike a draft agreement on post-Brexit ties on November 22 to go with the divorce deal.

The text covers economic and security ties and states that free movement for British and EU nationals "will no longer apply" after Britain leaves the bloc.

May defends the two agreements as "the right deal for Britain" despite opposition from Brexit hardliners in her own Conservative Party who urge her to renegotiate.

 
&nbsp;

From the shock Brexit vote to British and EU negotiators agreeing a draft divorce deal and an outline of post-Brexit ties, here are the milestones on Britain's rocky road out of the European Union.

From the shock Brexit vote to British and EU negotiators agreeing a draft divorce deal and an outline of post-Brexit ties, here are the milestones on Britain's rocky road out of the European Union. Britons vote to leave In a referendum Britons on June 23, 2016 choose to end their membership of the EU by 52 percent to 48 percent. The result prompts the resignation the next day of Conservative prime minister David Cameron, who had called the referendum and led the campaign to remain in the EU. In a race to replace him, Brexit campaigner Boris Johnson withdraws at the last minute and Theresa May, Cameron's interior minister for six years, becomes prime minister on July 11. Clean break On January 17, 2017 May gives a major speech setting out her Brexit strategy, saying Britain will also leave Europe's single market. On March 13 Britain's parliament gives final approval to a bill empowering May to trigger Article 50 of the EU treaty which lays out the process for leaving the union. Exit process triggered With a letter to EU President Donald Tusk on March 29 formally announcing the intention to leave, the government sets in motion Article 50. Its two-year timetable for withdrawal is set to wind up by March 29, 2019. Lost majority To capitalise on the perceived weakness of the opposition Labour party and strengthen her hand in Brexit negotiations, May calls a snap election for June 8. Her gamble backfires as the Conservatives lose their parliamentary majority. They are forced to strike a deal with Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) to be able to govern. The issue of British guarantees to keep an open border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland after Brexit becomes a key sticking point in negotiations. First terms agreed Britain and the EU reach a deal on some key terms of the divorce in early December 2017 after all-night negotiations. They include Britain's EU bill as part of the settlement. EU leaders give the go-ahead for the next stage of Brexit talks, including on how Britain will continue to trade with the bloc after the split. Brexit bill passed A bill enacting the decision to leave the EU becomes law on June 26, 2018, following months of debate and after receiving the formal assent of Queen Elizabeth II. The bill transfers decades of European law onto British statute books and enshrines "Brexit day" as March 29, 2019. Top ministers quit On July 6 May wins agreement from her warring cabinet to pursue "a UK-EU free trade area" that would retain a strong alignment with the EU after Brexit. Two days later David Davis, the eurosceptic Brexit minister, quits as does his deputy. May is giving "too much away too easily", Davis says. In a major blow, Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson also resigns on July 9, having criticised the Brexit blueprint in private, and becomes a leading critic of May's plans. Draft divorce deal agreed The European Union on November 13 publishes contingency plans for a "no-deal" Brexit. But a few hours later, May's office says negotiating teams have reached a draft agreement for a Brexit. On November 14 the cabinet meets over the draft for more than five hours. May says afterwards it had made a "collective decision" to give its backing. Rebellion On November 15 four ministers, including Brexit secretary Dominic Raab, quit in protest at the exit deal, which May defends to parliament ahead of a December vote on it. EU President Donald Tusk confirms the bloc will hold a special summit to seal the agreement on November 25. Outline on future ties British and EU negotiators strike a draft agreement on post-Brexit ties on November 22 to go with the divorce deal. The text covers economic and security ties and states that free movement for British and EU nationals "will no longer apply" after Britain leaves the bloc. May defends the two agreements as "the right deal for Britain" despite opposition from Brexit hardliners in her own Conservative Party who urge her to renegotiate.

Brexit in dates: From Leave vote to draft deal

Negotiations to secure an orderly Brexit deal will go down to the wire after Theresa May said she would return to Brussels for more talks on the eve of a planned signing summit.

After an inconclusive trip to Brussels to meet EU chief Jean-Claude Juncker, the British prime minister said she would return on Saturday to finalise preparations for a full EU meeting the next day.

It is believed that the texts of the deal will not be final before a meeting of top EU diplomats -- the summit's so-called "sherpas" -- on Friday, frustrating some European leaders.

"There are some further issues that need resolution. We have given direction to our negotiators this evening. The work on those issues will now start immediately," May said in a statement on Wednesday.

"I believe we have been able to give sufficient direction for them to be able to resolve those remaining issues," she said, adding that she would meet Juncker again on Saturday.

With less than four days until Sunday's meeting, a European Commission spokesperson said: "Very good progress was made in meeting between President Juncker and Prime Minister Theresa May."

But she added: "Work is continuing."

News of Saturday's last-ditch meeting will not go down well in Berlin, where Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel had earlier urged negotiators not to reopen talks on the main withdrawal agreement.

"I hope it will be solved by Sunday," she told German lawmakers. "We know how difficult the discussions are in Britain, but I can say for the German government that we agree with this exit agreement."

Negotiators are hammering out details of a political statement on future UK-EU ties that will accompany the divorce deal, under pressure to put it together before the sherpa meeting on Friday.

After enduring another parliamentary grilling at prime minister's questions in London, May slipped out of the Westminster bear pit and crossed the Channel to meet the head of the EU executive.

Having seen off -- at least for now -- a potential leadership challenge by hardline Brexiteers in her own party, she hoped to wring out of Brussels a Brexit arrangement that she can sell to her parliament.

The withdrawal treaty itself is all but final, and preparations are under way for Sunday's summit to sign it, but there remains the matter of the parallel 20-page political declaration on future relations.

European diplomats and EU officials have been in intense talks on the declaration this week.

May must show that she has left nothing on the table if she is to convince British members of parliament to ratify the deal in the coming weeks.

May and Juncker were expected to cover fishing rights and the movement of goods after Brexit, as well as the duration of the transition period and the British territory of Gibraltar, which lies on an outcrop off Spain.

Spain, N&nbsp;Ireland pressure

May faces pressure from her Northern Irish allies, who oppose a deal they say weakens British sovereignty in their province, and from Spain, which has warned it might oppose the accord over Gibraltar.

Madrid wants a veto over applying any agreement on post-transition relations to Gibraltar but May told MPs that Britain "will not exclude Gibraltar from our negotiations on the future relationship".

There is frustration among some EU countries at Spain trying to play hardball so late in the game.&nbsp;

"We are following the latest developments with growing concern and incomprehension -- among the EU27 our Spanish friends are all alone on this," an EU diplomat told AFP.

Madrid reiterated its threat on Wednesday to vote against the draft deal.

Two of May's top ministers quit last week, including her Brexit secretary, while MPs from all parties came out against the withdrawal deal -- increasing the chances that Britain will crash out of the Union on March 29 without an agreement.

The withdrawal deal covers Britain's financial settlement, expatriate citizens' rights, contingency plans to keep open the Irish border and the terms of a post-Brexit transition.

'Show our displeasure'

Opposition to the agreement is also building in the pro-Brexit camp. Anti-Europe Conservatives have savaged the divorce deal, which they say keeps Britain too close to the EU.

Rebels led by MP Jacob Rees-Mogg failed in their attempt to force an immediate confidence vote in May's leadership, but warned they would keep trying.

The withdrawal agreement sets out plans for a 21-month transition after Brexit, in which Britain and the EU want to turn their outline agreement on the future relationship into a full trade deal.

Negotiations to secure an orderly Brexit deal will go down to the wire after Theresa May said she would return to Brussels for more talks on the eve of a planned signing summit.

Negotiations to secure an orderly Brexit deal will go down to the wire after Theresa May said she would return to Brussels for more talks on the eve of a planned signing summit. After an inconclusive trip to Brussels to meet EU chief Jean-Claude Juncker, the British prime minister said she would return on Saturday to finalise preparations for a full EU meeting the next day. It is believed that the texts of the deal will not be final before a meeting of top EU diplomats -- the summit's so-called "sherpas" -- on Friday, frustrating some European leaders. "There are some further issues that need resolution. We have given direction to our negotiators this evening. The work on those issues will now start immediately," May said in a statement on Wednesday. "I believe we have been able to give sufficient direction for them to be able to resolve those remaining issues," she said, adding that she would meet Juncker again on Saturday. With less than four days until Sunday's meeting, a European Commission spokesperson said: "Very good progress was made in meeting between President Juncker and Prime Minister Theresa May." But she added: "Work is continuing." News of Saturday's last-ditch meeting will not go down well in Berlin, where Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel had earlier urged negotiators not to reopen talks on the main withdrawal agreement. "I hope it will be solved by Sunday," she told German lawmakers. "We know how difficult the discussions are in Britain, but I can say for the German government that we agree with this exit agreement." Negotiators are hammering out details of a political statement on future UK-EU ties that will accompany the divorce deal, under pressure to put it together before the sherpa meeting on Friday. After enduring another parliamentary grilling at prime minister's questions in London, May slipped out of the Westminster bear pit and crossed the Channel to meet the head of the EU executive. Having seen off -- at least for now -- a potential leadership challenge by hardline Brexiteers in her own party, she hoped to wring out of Brussels a Brexit arrangement that she can sell to her parliament. The withdrawal treaty itself is all but final, and preparations are under way for Sunday's summit to sign it, but there remains the matter of the parallel 20-page political declaration on future relations. European diplomats and EU officials have been in intense talks on the declaration this week. May must show that she has left nothing on the table if she is to convince British members of parliament to ratify the deal in the coming weeks. May and Juncker were expected to cover fishing rights and the movement of goods after Brexit, as well as the duration of the transition period and the British territory of Gibraltar, which lies on an outcrop off Spain. Spain, N Ireland pressure May faces pressure from her Northern Irish allies, who oppose a deal they say weakens British sovereignty in their province, and from Spain, which has warned it might oppose the accord over Gibraltar. Madrid wants a veto over applying any agreement on post-transition relations to Gibraltar but May told MPs that Britain "will not exclude Gibraltar from our negotiations on the future relationship". There is frustration among some EU countries at Spain trying to play hardball so late in the game. "We are following the latest developments with growing concern and incomprehension -- among the EU27 our Spanish friends are all alone on this," an EU diplomat told AFP. Madrid reiterated its threat on Wednesday to vote against the draft deal. Two of May's top ministers quit last week, including her Brexit secretary, while MPs from all parties came out against the withdrawal deal -- increasing the chances that Britain will crash out of the Union on March 29 without an agreement. The withdrawal deal covers Britain's financial settlement, expatriate citizens' rights, contingency plans to keep open the Irish border and the terms of a post-Brexit transition. 'Show our displeasure' Opposition to the agreement is also building in the pro-Brexit camp. Anti-Europe Conservatives have savaged the divorce deal, which they say keeps Britain too close to the EU. Rebels led by MP Jacob Rees-Mogg failed in their attempt to force an immediate confidence vote in May's leadership, but warned they would keep trying. The withdrawal agreement sets out plans for a 21-month transition after Brexit, in which Britain and the EU want to turn their outline agreement on the future relationship into a full trade deal.

Brexit goes down to wire as May calls last-day talks

Britain and the European Union agreed a draft text setting out a close post-Brexit relationship, officials said, though wrangles over fish and the future of Gibraltar must still be settled before leaders meet on Sunday.

Thursday's news sent the pound nearly one percent higher on relief among investors that 18 months of tense negotiation were bearing fruit, keeping Britain close to its biggest market and ensuring nothing much will change for at least two years.

British Prime Minister Theresa May told reporters in London: "The British people want this to be settled, they want a good deal that sets us on course for a brighter future ... That deal is within our grasp and <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/draft-brexit-agreement-right-deal-for-the-uk-may-178814">I am determined to deliver it</a>."

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EU officials said there was a solid consensus that remaining niggles should not hold up a final deal for Sunday, as the other 27 governments go through the new paperwork. The main question mark is over whether Spain, seeing Brexit as an opportunity to swing the EU's weight behind its 300-year campaign to reclaim Gibraltar from Britain, can be persuaded to remain patient.

After a draft treaty last week set the terms for Britain's departure in March, May had met EU chief executive Jean-Claude Juncker on Wednesday, hoping to finalise an ambitious declaration on future ties that can help her secure backing at home for the whole Brexit package in the teeth of furious parliamentary opposition, even within her own party.

She is due to meet Juncker again on the eve of the summit, at 6 p.m. (1700 GMT) on Saturday, and a spokesman for Juncker said that by then there should nothing much left to sort out.

With Spain, France and other EU member states lobbying for various national vested interests in that political declaration - a 26-page wishlist on future trade and security ties separate from the 585-page withdrawal agreement - there was concern in Brussels that haggling could get out of hand and derail Sunday's tightly choreographed formal summit of the 27 leaders with May.

Summit chair Donald Tusk said: "It has been agreed at negotiators' level and agreed in principle at political level."

PARKED

EU sources told Reuters that other demands from governments would be parked in a separate page or two of short text to be endorsed at the summit. French calls for access to British fishing grounds and insistence that post-Brexit Britain follow EU environment, tax, labour and industrial rules are largely drafted, leaving a gap for Spain's concerns that Madrid be given an effective veto over applying any future deal to Gibraltar.

The main text of the political declaration, seen by Reuters, said the EU and Britain "agree to develop an ambitious, wide-ranging and balanced economic partnership.

"This partnership will be comprehensive, encompassing a free trade area as well as wider sectoral cooperation ... will be underpinned by provisions ensuring a level playing field."

Crucially for May, it commits the EU to looking for ways to avoid triggering a "backstop" clause intended to ensure the Irish border remains free of customs checks. Those include, it says, technical and administrative means favoured by May's pro-Brexit allies that could limit Britain's need to keep its broader economic and trade rules in line with the continent.

The European Commission said Juncker encouraged May to talk with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, which they had done late on Wednesday, and that Gibraltar, along with some questions on fishing, were what remained unresolved.

The text said the post-Brexit relationship would respect "the integrity of the Union's Single Market and the Customs Union as well as the United Kingdom's internal market, and recognise the development of an independent trade policy by the United Kingdom beyond this economic partnership".

The latter point responds to complaints from May's key parliamentary allies in Northern Ireland that the EU plan to avoid a hard border with EU-member Ireland could isolate the province from the British mainland. The former deals with EU concern that Britain is using the Irish question to get special access to the EU market while dispensing with its regulations.

Both sides need an accord to keep trade flowing between the world’s biggest trading bloc and the fifth largest national economy. But May has struggled to untangle nearly 46 years of membership without damaging trade or upsetting the lawmakers who will ultimately decide the fate of any deals she can secure.

Despite the hopes of financial firms in London, Britain secured no improvements to its proposed future trading relations in financial services.

May updated her cabinet on the state of talks by teleconference but her spokesman cautioned that no final deal can be agreed ahead of the EU summit on Sunday. In practice, however, EU leaders who will meet for an hour before they meet May, want all negotiating finished before.

The transition period, currently due to end after 21 months in December 2020, can be extended for up to two years. May has said it must end before a British election due in mid-2021.

Britain and the European Union agreed a draft text setting out a close post-Brexit relationship, officials said, though wrangles over fish and the future of Gibraltar must still be settled before leaders meet on Sunday.

Britain and the European Union agreed a draft text setting out a close post-Brexit relationship, officials said, though wrangles over fish and the future of Gibraltar must still be settled before leaders meet on Sunday. Thursday's news sent the pound nearly one percent higher on relief among investors that 18 months of tense negotiation were bearing fruit, keeping Britain close to its biggest market and ensuring nothing much will change for at least two years. British Prime Minister Theresa May told reporters in London: "The British people want this to be settled, they want a good deal that sets us on course for a brighter future ... That deal is within our grasp and I am determined to deliver it." The main question mark is over whether Spain, seeing Brexit as an opportunity to swing the EU's weight behind its 300-year campaign to reclaim Gibraltar from Britain, can be persuaded to remain patient × EU officials said there was a solid consensus that remaining niggles should not hold up a final deal for Sunday, as the other 27 governments go through the new paperwork. The main question mark is over whether Spain, seeing Brexit as an opportunity to swing the EU's weight behind its 300-year campaign to reclaim Gibraltar from Britain, can be persuaded to remain patient. After a draft treaty last week set the terms for Britain's departure in March, May had met EU chief executive Jean-Claude Juncker on Wednesday, hoping to finalise an ambitious declaration on future ties that can help her secure backing at home for the whole Brexit package in the teeth of furious parliamentary opposition, even within her own party. She is due to meet Juncker again on the eve of the summit, at 6 p.m. (1700 GMT) on Saturday, and a spokesman for Juncker said that by then there should nothing much left to sort out. With Spain, France and other EU member states lobbying for various national vested interests in that political declaration - a 26-page wishlist on future trade and security ties separate from the 585-page withdrawal agreement - there was concern in Brussels that haggling could get out of hand and derail Sunday's tightly choreographed formal summit of the 27 leaders with May. Summit chair Donald Tusk said: "It has been agreed at negotiators' level and agreed in principle at political level." PARKED EU sources told Reuters that other demands from governments would be parked in a separate page or two of short text to be endorsed at the summit. French calls for access to British fishing grounds and insistence that post-Brexit Britain follow EU environment, tax, labour and industrial rules are largely drafted, leaving a gap for Spain's concerns that Madrid be given an effective veto over applying any future deal to Gibraltar. The main text of the political declaration, seen by Reuters, said the EU and Britain "agree to develop an ambitious, wide-ranging and balanced economic partnership. "This partnership will be comprehensive, encompassing a free trade area as well as wider sectoral cooperation ... will be underpinned by provisions ensuring a level playing field." Crucially for May, it commits the EU to looking for ways to avoid triggering a "backstop" clause intended to ensure the Irish border remains free of customs checks. Those include, it says, technical and administrative means favoured by May's pro-Brexit allies that could limit Britain's need to keep its broader economic and trade rules in line with the continent. The European Commission said Juncker encouraged May to talk with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, which they had done late on Wednesday, and that Gibraltar, along with some questions on fishing, were what remained unresolved. The text said the post-Brexit relationship would respect "the integrity of the Union's Single Market and the Customs Union as well as the United Kingdom's internal market, and recognise the development of an independent trade policy by the United Kingdom beyond this economic partnership". The latter point responds to complaints from May's key parliamentary allies in Northern Ireland that the EU plan to avoid a hard border with EU-member Ireland could isolate the province from the British mainland. The former deals with EU concern that Britain is using the Irish question to get special access to the EU market while dispensing with its regulations. Both sides need an accord to keep trade flowing between the world’s biggest trading bloc and the fifth largest national economy. But May has struggled to untangle nearly 46 years of membership without damaging trade or upsetting the lawmakers who will ultimately decide the fate of any deals she can secure. Despite the hopes of financial firms in London, Britain secured no improvements to its proposed future trading relations in financial services. May updated her cabinet on the state of talks by teleconference but her spokesman cautioned that no final deal can be agreed ahead of the EU summit on Sunday. In practice, however, EU leaders who will meet for an hour before they meet May, want all negotiating finished before. The transition period, currently due to end after 21 months in December 2020, can be extended for up to two years. May has said it must end before a British election due in mid-2021.

EU, UK agree on draft text laying out close post-Brexit relationship

Brexit-supporting rebel MPs in British Prime Minister Theresa May's Conservative party blamed "tactical disagreement" Tuesday <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/british-pm-theresa-may-battling-to-save-her-job-brexit-deal-after-4-ministers-quit-177575">for failing to unseat her</a> over the divorce deal with the EU, but warned they would try again.

Some members of the hardline European Research Group (ERG) had last week warned of an imminent vote of no confidence in her leadership, but the required 48 letters of support from MPs has so far failed to materialise.

Chairman Jacob Rees-Mogg said many eurosceptics believed they should challenge May when parliament votes on the Brexit deal early next month.

"There are many people who are expecting to oppose the deal in the vote and they think that is the time to write letters rather than now," he told reporters.

"That's a perfectly reasonable thing for them to think. I'd also emphasise that I'm a backbench MP, I express my view and people can agree with it or disagree with it."

Rees-Mogg's announcement on Thursday that he had submitted his own letter came just hours after two ministers quit over May's Brexit deal, raising real fears the government could collapse.

ERG organiser Steve Baker, who quit as a junior Brexit minister earlier this year over May's approach, told AFP: "The challenge is a rolling one.

"There is tactical disagreement among various colleagues about whether to go now or after the meaningful vote has been lost.

"They're more likely to defeat the prime minister after she's lost the meaningful vote, and that's what's holding back a number of colleagues."

He claims more than 70 Conservative MPs oppose May's Brexit deal, while the opposition Labour and Scottish National Party have also pledged to reject it.

But May is hoping to win over some critics with the promise of a wide-ranging future trade deal with the EU, an outline agreement on which is currently being finalised in Brussels.

The immediate failure of the ERG challenge is also indicative of how Downing Street will likely pressure individual MPs to back the government.

One ERG source complained May's office had proved effective in persuading MPs not to submit letters of no confidence.

Their efforts were greeted with mockery among some Conservative MPs.

"Not being able to account for £350 million was a deliberate lie but not being able to account for 48 looks like incompetence as well," said MP Sarah Woolaston, referencing the widely-discredited figure used by Brexiteers of how much Britain would save leaving the EU.

Brexit-supporting rebel MPs in British Prime Minister Theresa May's Conservative party blamed "tactical disagreement" Tuesday for failing to unseat her over the divorce deal with the EU, but warned they would try again.

Brexit-supporting rebel MPs in British Prime Minister Theresa May's Conservative party blamed "tactical disagreement" Tuesday for failing to unseat her over the divorce deal with the EU, but warned they would try again. Some members of the hardline European Research Group (ERG) had last week warned of an imminent vote of no confidence in her leadership, but the required 48 letters of support from MPs has so far failed to materialise. Chairman Jacob Rees-Mogg said many eurosceptics believed they should challenge May when parliament votes on the Brexit deal early next month. "There are many people who are expecting to oppose the deal in the vote and they think that is the time to write letters rather than now," he told reporters. "That's a perfectly reasonable thing for them to think. I'd also emphasise that I'm a backbench MP, I express my view and people can agree with it or disagree with it." Rees-Mogg's announcement on Thursday that he had submitted his own letter came just hours after two ministers quit over May's Brexit deal, raising real fears the government could collapse. ERG organiser Steve Baker, who quit as a junior Brexit minister earlier this year over May's approach, told AFP: "The challenge is a rolling one. "There is tactical disagreement among various colleagues about whether to go now or after the meaningful vote has been lost. "They're more likely to defeat the prime minister after she's lost the meaningful vote, and that's what's holding back a number of colleagues." He claims more than 70 Conservative MPs oppose May's Brexit deal, while the opposition Labour and Scottish National Party have also pledged to reject it. But May is hoping to win over some critics with the promise of a wide-ranging future trade deal with the EU, an outline agreement on which is currently being finalised in Brussels. The immediate failure of the ERG challenge is also indicative of how Downing Street will likely pressure individual MPs to back the government. One ERG source complained May's office had proved effective in persuading MPs not to submit letters of no confidence. Their efforts were greeted with mockery among some Conservative MPs. "Not being able to account for £350 million was a deliberate lie but not being able to account for 48 looks like incompetence as well," said MP Sarah Woolaston, referencing the widely-discredited figure used by Brexiteers of how much Britain would save leaving the EU.

Brexit-supporting MPs say they will try again to unseat PM Theresa May

By Simon Usherwood

After a week of high drama, even by the usual standards of Brexit, we find ourselves with something of a conundrum. On the one hand, no one in parliament seems to like the text of the Withdrawal Agreement that Theresa May has brought back from her negotiations. On the other, the prime minister remains determined to ensure its ratification and implementation.

The criticism has come from all directions, something that partly explains the current situation.

For those who want to have a more emphatically clean break with the EU, such as Jacob Rees-Mogg, the agreement contains much to cause concern. Most prominently, there are the backstop arrangements on Northern Ireland, which will come into effect if a new agreement cannot be signed by the UK and EU by the end of the transition period in December 2020. That backstop now involves maintaining both customs and regulatory alignment for the entire UK and it can only be removed by the mutual agreement of both parties – meaning the EU has a veto on ending it.

But there are other elements, including the suggestion that this customs aspect of the backstop would form the basis of the future relationship, potentially restricting the capacity of the UK to conclude new trade deals with other countries, one of the flagship benefits that Brexiters have been selling in recent months.

Emerging factions

For those who want a close relationship with the EU, the Withdrawal Agreement looks problematic for its lack of commitment to close economic integration and its ambivalence about the status of EU citizens in the EU and UK citizens in the EU.

The recent emergence of the “Norway for now” group, including the MPs Nick Boles and Michael Gove, further complicates matters. They are looking for language that allows for a temporary membership of the European Economic Area (EEA), despite the EU’s (and Norway’s) professed doubts about the possibility, given the disruption to the EEA it would cause.

In short, everyone is seeing what they don’t like in the text and want it changed.

Crucially, however, not one of these different opinions commands any more support in parliament than May’s own position. Each group is pulling in different directions, making it impossible to satisfy everyone by any change.

Remember too that the EU has indicated that it will not be open to renegotiation around the edges of this text – so the only likely route to getting back around the table will be due to a much more major shift in UK priorities, such as a fundamentally different future relationship.

As a result, May’s compromise has perhaps more stability than might be immediately apparent. The prime minister has neither the desire nor really the capacity to find a new agreement with the EU, even before the time constraints of Article 50 and the March 29,&nbsp;2019 deadline for the UK’s withdrawal are taken into account.

May’s way or the highway

Of course, this situation is partly by May’s design – holding off finalising the text until now left as little opportunity as possible for opponents to mobilise and plot, so she can sell it as “this deal or no deal”.

We’ll find out soon enough if this gambit can work. Already, it is clear that May has done little to try and placate the critics within her own party, instead of carving her own way through the negotiations and not opening up the process to contributions from colleagues.

It is in this context that politicians who campaigned for Leave, such as Gove or Andrea Leadsom, have chosen to remain in cabinet despite their clear doubts about the Withdrawal Agreement. Better, they argue, to be on the inside trying to shape May’s decisions, than on the outside, free to speak out but also excluded from the corridors of power.

Again, the success or failure of this will become clear before long, as the ratification process begins.

What we do know is that the Withdrawal Agreement is primarily a document about the past – about ending the UK’s membership of the EU. The accompanying political declaration says relatively little about the future relationship with the EU, which will be negotiated once the UK has left. For those who stay in cabinet, that might be the real moment for exerting their power and influence and changing the course of this process.

(Simon Usherwood is Reader in Politics, University of Surrey)

(This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/theresa-mays-brexit-deal-heres-how-the-factions-want-to-rewrite-it-107115">original article</a>)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL) 
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&nbsp;

By Simon Usherwood After a week of high drama, even by the usual standards of Brexit, we find ourselves with something of a conundrum. On the one hand, no one in parliament seems to like the text of the Withdrawal Agreement that Theresa May has brought back from her negotiations.

By Simon Usherwood After a week of high drama, even by the usual standards of Brexit, we find ourselves with something of a conundrum. On the one hand, no one in parliament seems to like the text of the Withdrawal Agreement that Theresa May has brought back from her negotiations. On the other, the prime minister remains determined to ensure its ratification and implementation. The criticism has come from all directions, something that partly explains the current situation. For those who want to have a more emphatically clean break with the EU, such as Jacob Rees-Mogg, the agreement contains much to cause concern. Most prominently, there are the backstop arrangements on Northern Ireland, which will come into effect if a new agreement cannot be signed by the UK and EU by the end of the transition period in December 2020. That backstop now involves maintaining both customs and regulatory alignment for the entire UK and it can only be removed by the mutual agreement of both parties – meaning the EU has a veto on ending it. But there are other elements, including the suggestion that this customs aspect of the backstop would form the basis of the future relationship, potentially restricting the capacity of the UK to conclude new trade deals with other countries, one of the flagship benefits that Brexiters have been selling in recent months. Emerging factions For those who want a close relationship with the EU, the Withdrawal Agreement looks problematic for its lack of commitment to close economic integration and its ambivalence about the status of EU citizens in the EU and UK citizens in the EU. The recent emergence of the “Norway for now” group, including the MPs Nick Boles and Michael Gove, further complicates matters. They are looking for language that allows for a temporary membership of the European Economic Area (EEA), despite the EU’s (and Norway’s) professed doubts about the possibility, given the disruption to the EEA it would cause. In short, everyone is seeing what they don’t like in the text and want it changed. Crucially, however, not one of these different opinions commands any more support in parliament than May’s own position. Each group is pulling in different directions, making it impossible to satisfy everyone by any change. Remember too that the EU has indicated that it will not be open to renegotiation around the edges of this text – so the only likely route to getting back around the table will be due to a much more major shift in UK priorities, such as a fundamentally different future relationship. As a result, May’s compromise has perhaps more stability than might be immediately apparent. The prime minister has neither the desire nor really the capacity to find a new agreement with the EU, even before the time constraints of Article 50 and the March 29, 2019 deadline for the UK’s withdrawal are taken into account. May’s way or the highway Of course, this situation is partly by May’s design – holding off finalising the text until now left as little opportunity as possible for opponents to mobilise and plot, so she can sell it as “this deal or no deal”. We’ll find out soon enough if this gambit can work. Already, it is clear that May has done little to try and placate the critics within her own party, instead of carving her own way through the negotiations and not opening up the process to contributions from colleagues. It is in this context that politicians who campaigned for Leave, such as Gove or Andrea Leadsom, have chosen to remain in cabinet despite their clear doubts about the Withdrawal Agreement. Better, they argue, to be on the inside trying to shape May’s decisions, than on the outside, free to speak out but also excluded from the corridors of power. Again, the success or failure of this will become clear before long, as the ratification process begins. What we do know is that the Withdrawal Agreement is primarily a document about the past – about ending the UK’s membership of the EU. The accompanying political declaration says relatively little about the future relationship with the EU, which will be negotiated once the UK has left. For those who stay in cabinet, that might be the real moment for exerting their power and influence and changing the course of this process. (Simon Usherwood is Reader in Politics, University of Surrey) (This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Here's how the factions want to rewrite Theresa May's Brexit deal

British Prime Minister <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/getting-rid-of-me-risks-delaying-brexit-uk-pm-theresa-may-178041">Theresa May</a> will on Monday defend her draft Brexit deal to business leaders ahead of "intense negotiations" with Brussels in the coming week.

May will tell the Confederation of British Industry, the UK's main business lobby group, that she is confident of striking a deal at the European Council in the run-up to Sunday's summit to sign Britain's divorce papers.

"During that time I expect us to hammer out the full and final details of the framework that will underpin our future relationship," she will say, according to Downing Street.

"I am confident that we can strike a deal at the Council that I can take back to the House of Commons."

Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/uk-pm-may-says-leadership-challenge-threshold-not-met-as-far-as-i-know-178035">UK PM May says leadership challenge threshold not met 'as far as I know'</a>

The embattled premier, whose cabinet grudgingly approved her EU divorce draft last week, faces an uphill challenge to pass her deal through a sceptical parliament.&nbsp;

The Brussels negotiations will finalise a parallel political declaration setting out a road-map for post-Brexit negotiations on future EU-UK ties.

She will also tell the CBI gathering that her deal will deliver on the issues that matter to the British people.

"Control over our borders, by bringing an end to free movement, once and for all.

"Control of our money, so we can decide for ourselves how to spend it.

"Control of our laws, by ending the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice in the United Kingdom and ensuring that our laws are made and enforced here in this country."

The CBI said on Sunday that May's draft deal was not perfect but a compromise that "takes no deal off the table" and opens the path to frictionless trade in the future.

Addressing the issue of immigration, a concern for many businesses who fear they will face skills gaps after Brexit, May will promise to introduce "more streamlined application processes" that will "attract the brightest and the best from around the world".

"But the difference will be this: once we have left the EU, we will be fully in control of who comes here," she will say.

"It will no longer be the case that EU nationals, regardless of the skills or experience they have to offer, can jump the queue ahead of engineers from Sydney or software developers from Delhi." 
&nbsp;

British Prime Minister Theresa May will on Monday defend her draft Brexit deal to business leaders ahead of "intense negotiations" with Brussels in the coming week.

British Prime Minister Theresa May will on Monday defend her draft Brexit deal to business leaders ahead of "intense negotiations" with Brussels in the coming week. May will tell the Confederation of British Industry, the UK's main business lobby group, that she is confident of striking a deal at the European Council in the run-up to Sunday's summit to sign Britain's divorce papers. "During that time I expect us to hammer out the full and final details of the framework that will underpin our future relationship," she will say, according to Downing Street. "I am confident that we can strike a deal at the Council that I can take back to the House of Commons." Also read: UK PM May says leadership challenge threshold not met 'as far as I know' The embattled premier, whose cabinet grudgingly approved her EU divorce draft last week, faces an uphill challenge to pass her deal through a sceptical parliament. The Brussels negotiations will finalise a parallel political declaration setting out a road-map for post-Brexit negotiations on future EU-UK ties. She will also tell the CBI gathering that her deal will deliver on the issues that matter to the British people. "Control over our borders, by bringing an end to free movement, once and for all. "Control of our money, so we can decide for ourselves how to spend it. "Control of our laws, by ending the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice in the United Kingdom and ensuring that our laws are made and enforced here in this country." The CBI said on Sunday that May's draft deal was not perfect but a compromise that "takes no deal off the table" and opens the path to frictionless trade in the future. Addressing the issue of immigration, a concern for many businesses who fear they will face skills gaps after Brexit, May will promise to introduce "more streamlined application processes" that will "attract the brightest and the best from around the world". "But the difference will be this: once we have left the EU, we will be fully in control of who comes here," she will say. "It will no longer be the case that EU nationals, regardless of the skills or experience they have to offer, can jump the queue ahead of engineers from Sydney or software developers from Delhi."

British PM Theresa May to defend draft Brexit deal to business leaders

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/getting-rid-of-me-risks-delaying-brexit-uk-pm-theresa-may-178041">Getting rid of me risks delaying Brexit: UK PM Theresa May</a>

British Prime Minister Theresa May said on Sunday toppling her would risk delaying Brexit and she would not let talk of a leadership challenge distract her from a critical week of negotiations.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/sri-lanka-crisis-all-party-meet-underway-to-resolve-political-crisis-178043">Sri Lanka: All-party meet underway to resolve </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/sri-lanka-crisis-all-party-meet-underway-to-resolve-political-crisis-178043">political</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/sri-lanka-crisis-all-party-meet-underway-to-resolve-political-crisis-178043"> crisis</a>

An all-party meet called by Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena is underway at the Capital in a bid to end the political turmoil after Sirisena ousted Ranil Wickremesinghe and appointed former president Mahinda Rajapaksa as prime minister.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/amritsar-grenade-attack-appears-to-be-terrorist-act-punjab-police-178037">Amritsar grenade attack appears to be 'terrorist act': Punjab police</a>

Punjab police said Sunday the&nbsp;grenade attack&nbsp;on a religious congregation on the outskirts of Amritsar city appears to be a "terrorist act".

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/macrons-popularity-dips-as-french-fuel-tax-revolt-simmers-178047">Macron's popularity dips as French fuel tax revolt simmers</a>

Emmanuel Macron’s popularity took a further hit in recent weeks, according to a poll on Sunday, as fuel tax protests rumbled on across France in the latest sign of discontent with the president’s economic reforms.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/israels-netanyahu-in-crucial-talks-as-he-resists-snap-polls-178042">Israel PM Netanyahu in crucial talks as he resists snap polls</a>

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu resisted calls for snap polls Sunday, saying elections now would be "unnecessary and wrong", ahead of what he called last-ditch talks to hold his embattled coalition together.

Getting rid of me risks delaying Brexit: UK PM Theresa May British Prime Minister Theresa May said on Sunday toppling her would risk delaying Brexit and she would not let talk of a leadership challenge distract her from a critical week of negotiations.

Getting rid of me risks delaying Brexit: UK PM Theresa May British Prime Minister Theresa May said on Sunday toppling her would risk delaying Brexit and she would not let talk of a leadership challenge distract her from a critical week of negotiations. Sri Lanka: All-party meet underway to resolve political crisis An all-party meet called by Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena is underway at the Capital in a bid to end the political turmoil after Sirisena ousted Ranil Wickremesinghe and appointed former president Mahinda Rajapaksa as prime minister. Amritsar grenade attack appears to be 'terrorist act': Punjab police Punjab police said Sunday the grenade attack on a religious congregation on the outskirts of Amritsar city appears to be a "terrorist act". Macron's popularity dips as French fuel tax revolt simmers Emmanuel Macron’s popularity took a further hit in recent weeks, according to a poll on Sunday, as fuel tax protests rumbled on across France in the latest sign of discontent with the president’s economic reforms. Israel PM Netanyahu in crucial talks as he resists snap polls Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu resisted calls for snap polls Sunday, saying elections now would be "unnecessary and wrong", ahead of what he called last-ditch talks to hold his embattled coalition together.

British Prime Minister Theresa May on Sunday rejected reports that hinted on a no-confidence motion against her.

May said that as far as she was aware, a formal challenge to her leadership had not yet gained enough support to trigger a confidence vote.

"As far as I know, no, it has not," May told Sky News, when asked if the threshold had been met for a formal leadership contest.&nbsp;

Earlier reports had suggested that the&nbsp;Prime Minister may&nbsp;face a&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/factbox-who-has-submitted-letters-of-no-confidence-in-uk-pm-may-177703">no-confidence vote</a>&nbsp;next week.

Media reports had said that the Conservative lawmakers would submit the 48 letters required to trigger a leadership contest.

Citing Brexiteer sources, Telegraph Chief Political Correspondent Christopher Hope had also tweeted that May could face the no-confidence vote on Tuesday.

Some lawmakers in Prime Minister Theresa May's Conservative Party have said they have submitted letters of no confidence in the British leader.

A leadership challenge is triggered if 48 Conservatives write such letters to the chairman of the party's so-called 1922 committee.

May could be toppled if 158 of her 315 lawmakers vote against her.

British Prime Minister Theresa May on Sunday rejected reports that hinted on a no-confidence motion against her. May said that as far as she was aware, a formal challenge to her leadership had not yet gained enough support to trigger a confidence vote.

British Prime Minister Theresa May on Sunday rejected reports that hinted on a no-confidence motion against her. May said that as far as she was aware, a formal challenge to her leadership had not yet gained enough support to trigger a confidence vote. "As far as I know, no, it has not," May told Sky News, when asked if the threshold had been met for a formal leadership contest. Earlier reports had suggested that the Prime Minister may face a no-confidence vote next week. Media reports had said that the Conservative lawmakers would submit the 48 letters required to trigger a leadership contest. Citing Brexiteer sources, Telegraph Chief Political Correspondent Christopher Hope had also tweeted that May could face the no-confidence vote on Tuesday. Some lawmakers in Prime Minister Theresa May's Conservative Party have said they have submitted letters of no confidence in the British leader. A leadership challenge is triggered if 48 Conservatives write such letters to the chairman of the party's so-called 1922 committee. May could be toppled if 158 of her 315 lawmakers vote against her.

UK PM May says leadership challenge threshold not met 'as far as I know'

UK Prime Minister Theresa May received support from prominent Brexiteers on Friday, a day after&nbsp;four&nbsp;ministers resigned&nbsp;from the cabinet over the draft Brexit deal,&nbsp;

Environment Secretary Michael Gove and International Trade Secretary Liam Fox confirmed on Friday about their intention to stay with May.

Asked Friday if he had confidence in May, Gove said: "I absolutely do. It's absolutely vital that we focus on getting the right deal in the future."

After the environment minister in the British cabinet <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/uks-michael-gove-wont-resign-over-pm-mays-brexit-plan-reports-177709">Michael Gove </a>expressed his assent to remain in the government, other ministers Liam Fox, Chris Grayling, Penny Mordaunt and Andrea Leadsom also said they would stay in British Prime Minister Theresa May`s government.

"Gove, Fox, Grayling, Mordaunt and Leadsom have agreed collectively to stay and will work together "to get this in a better place" says a (very good) source," Tim Shipman, political editor of the Sunday Times, said in a tweet.

Despite the support from Gove and Fox, May could yet face a <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/uk-pm-may-will-face-no-confidence-vote-next-week-report-177714">vote of no confidence</a> from her own MPs.

At least 48 Conservative MPs are required to submit letters of no confidence in the party leader to trigger a vote and 21 have publicly confirmed they had done so.

If May wins such a vote, she cannot be challenged for 12 months.

(With inputs from agencies) 
&nbsp;

UK Prime Minister Theresa May received support from prominent Brexiteers on Friday, a day after four ministers resigned from the cabinet over the draft Brexit deal, Environment Secretary Michael Gove and International Trade Secretary Liam Fox confirmed on Friday about their intention to stay with May.

UK Prime Minister Theresa May received support from prominent Brexiteers on Friday, a day after four ministers resigned from the cabinet over the draft Brexit deal, Environment Secretary Michael Gove and International Trade Secretary Liam Fox confirmed on Friday about their intention to stay with May. Asked Friday if he had confidence in May, Gove said: "I absolutely do. It's absolutely vital that we focus on getting the right deal in the future." After the environment minister in the British cabinet Michael Gove expressed his assent to remain in the government, other ministers Liam Fox, Chris Grayling, Penny Mordaunt and Andrea Leadsom also said they would stay in British Prime Minister Theresa May`s government. "Gove, Fox, Grayling, Mordaunt and Leadsom have agreed collectively to stay and will work together "to get this in a better place" says a (very good) source," Tim Shipman, political editor of the Sunday Times, said in a tweet. Despite the support from Gove and Fox, May could yet face a vote of no confidence from her own MPs. At least 48 Conservative MPs are required to submit letters of no confidence in the party leader to trigger a vote and 21 have publicly confirmed they had done so. If May wins such a vote, she cannot be challenged for 12 months. (With inputs from agencies)

Prominent Brexiteers back British PM Theresa May in Brexit battle

Prime Minister Theresa May vowed to fight for her draft divorce deal with the European Union on Thursday after the resignation of her Brexit secretary and other ministers put her strategy and her job in peril.

Just over 12 hours after May announced that her cabinet had agreed to the terms of the deal, Brexit minister Dominic Raab and work and pensions minister Esther McVey resigned.

Eurosceptics in May's Conservative Party said they had submitted letters calling for a vote of no confidence in her leadership.

May called a news conference at her Downing Street residence to underline her determination to stay the course.

Asked if she would contest any challenge to her position, she replied: "Am I going to see this through? Yes."

However, hostility from government and opposition lawmakers raised the risk that the deal would be rejected in parliament and that Britain could leave the EU on March 29 without a safety net.

That prospect pushed the pound down as much as 2 per cent to $1.2731, although it recovered slightly after May's statement.

The main stock index in Ireland, which is highly dependent on trade with Britain, plunged 3.8 per cent.

The German carmaker BMW, which produces its Mini model in Britain, said that, with the political situation so uncertain, it would continue to prepare for a 'no-deal' Brexit.

"BEST DEAL FOR BRITAIN"

Two junior ministers, two ministerial aides and the Conservatives' vice chairman joined Raab and McVey in quitting.

May said she understood their unhappiness, but added: "I believe with every fibre of my being that the course I have set out is the right one for our country and all our people ...

"I am going to do my job of getting the best deal for Britain."

By seeking to preserve the closest possible ties with the EU, May has upset her party's many advocates of a clean break, and Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), which props up her minority government.

Meanwhile, proponents of closer relations with the EU in her own party and the Labour opposition say the deal squanders the advantages of membership for little gain.

Both sides say it effectively cedes power to the EU without securing the promised benefits of greater autonomy.

"It is ... mathematically impossible to get this deal through the House of Commons. The stark reality is that it was dead on arrival," said Conservative Brexit-supporting lawmaker Mark Francois.

The deal will need the backing of about 320 of parliament's 650 MPs to pass.

The ultimate outcome remains uncertain. Scenarios include May's deal ultimately winning approval; May losing her job; Britain leaving the bloc with no agreement; or even another referendum.

"WORSE THAN ANTICIPATED"

Analysts from US bank Citi said Britain was now likely either to stay in the EU or leave without a deal.

Jacob Rees-Mogg, the leader of a Conservative eurosceptic group in parliament, said the draft was "worse than anticipated", and he had formally requested a vote of no confidence in May.

At least 14 Conservative lawmakers openly said they had submitted such letters, although others could have done so secretly. Forty-eight are needed to trigger a challenge.

But May told parliament: "The choice is clear. We can choose to leave with no deal, we can risk no Brexit at all, or we can choose to unite and support the best deal that can be negotiated."

Rees-Mogg told journalists the next prime minister should be someone who believed in Brexit.

But a May ally, former interior minister Amber Rudd, told Sky News: "The problem isn't the prime minister. The problem is the challenges she's got to deliver in trying to pull together this Brexit. She's the best person to do it."

The Labour Party said the government was "falling apart".

"NO ABILITY TO EXIT"

In parliament, lawmakers from all sides spent three hours mostly attacking the draft, agreed with the EU on Tuesday after more than a year of difficult negotiations.

"No democratic nation has ever signed up to be bound by such an extensive regime, imposed externally without any democratic control over the laws to be applied, nor the ability to decide to exit the arrangement," Raab said in his resignation letter.

Others said the so-called "Irish backstop", to be used if no better way can be found to avoid future checks on the border between the British province of Northern Ireland and EU-member Ireland, would tear Britain apart, leaving Northern Ireland all but inside the EU's single market.

It was this arrangement, which sees Britain and the EU establishing a single customs territory, but Northern Ireland aligned more closely with the EU, that spurred most criticism.

The DUP has threatened to pull its support from the minority government if the backstop means the province is treated differently from mainland Britain.

EU leaders are ready to meet on Nov. 25 to sign off on the divorce deal, or Withdrawal Agreement, but French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe summed up the uncertainty when he said events in London raised concerns about whether it would be ratified.

"We need to prepare ourselves for a no-deal Brexit," he said.

A group of EU states including France also raised objections to what has been agreed so far on fishing between the EU and UK after Brexit, diplomatic sources said.

Raab, 44, was named Brexit secretary in July after the resignation of his predecessor David Davis, who also quit in protest at May's strategy.

At the heart of Raab's criticism was the belief that the pursuit of a temporary customs union with the EU would be the starting point for talks on the future relationship with the bloc, "severely prejudicing" what Britain could achieve.

He said he could not support an indefinite backstop arrangement, and that May's plan threatened the integrity of the United Kingdom. 
&nbsp;

Prime Minister Theresa May vowed to fight for her draft divorce deal with the European Union on Thursday after the resignation of her Brexit secretary and other ministers put her strategy and her job in peril.

Prime Minister Theresa May vowed to fight for her draft divorce deal with the European Union on Thursday after the resignation of her Brexit secretary and other ministers put her strategy and her job in peril. Just over 12 hours after May announced that her cabinet had agreed to the terms of the deal, Brexit minister Dominic Raab and work and pensions minister Esther McVey resigned. Eurosceptics in May's Conservative Party said they had submitted letters calling for a vote of no confidence in her leadership. May called a news conference at her Downing Street residence to underline her determination to stay the course. Asked if she would contest any challenge to her position, she replied: "Am I going to see this through? Yes." However, hostility from government and opposition lawmakers raised the risk that the deal would be rejected in parliament and that Britain could leave the EU on March 29 without a safety net. That prospect pushed the pound down as much as 2 per cent to $1.2731, although it recovered slightly after May's statement. The main stock index in Ireland, which is highly dependent on trade with Britain, plunged 3.8 per cent. The German carmaker BMW, which produces its Mini model in Britain, said that, with the political situation so uncertain, it would continue to prepare for a 'no-deal' Brexit. "BEST DEAL FOR BRITAIN" Two junior ministers, two ministerial aides and the Conservatives' vice chairman joined Raab and McVey in quitting. May said she understood their unhappiness, but added: "I believe with every fibre of my being that the course I have set out is the right one for our country and all our people ... "I am going to do my job of getting the best deal for Britain." By seeking to preserve the closest possible ties with the EU, May has upset her party's many advocates of a clean break, and Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), which props up her minority government. Meanwhile, proponents of closer relations with the EU in her own party and the Labour opposition say the deal squanders the advantages of membership for little gain. Both sides say it effectively cedes power to the EU without securing the promised benefits of greater autonomy. "It is ... mathematically impossible to get this deal through the House of Commons. The stark reality is that it was dead on arrival," said Conservative Brexit-supporting lawmaker Mark Francois. The deal will need the backing of about 320 of parliament's 650 MPs to pass. The ultimate outcome remains uncertain. Scenarios include May's deal ultimately winning approval; May losing her job; Britain leaving the bloc with no agreement; or even another referendum. "WORSE THAN ANTICIPATED" Analysts from US bank Citi said Britain was now likely either to stay in the EU or leave without a deal. Jacob Rees-Mogg, the leader of a Conservative eurosceptic group in parliament, said the draft was "worse than anticipated", and he had formally requested a vote of no confidence in May. At least 14 Conservative lawmakers openly said they had submitted such letters, although others could have done so secretly. Forty-eight are needed to trigger a challenge. But May told parliament: "The choice is clear. We can choose to leave with no deal, we can risk no Brexit at all, or we can choose to unite and support the best deal that can be negotiated." Rees-Mogg told journalists the next prime minister should be someone who believed in Brexit. But a May ally, former interior minister Amber Rudd, told Sky News: "The problem isn't the prime minister. The problem is the challenges she's got to deliver in trying to pull together this Brexit. She's the best person to do it." The Labour Party said the government was "falling apart". "NO ABILITY TO EXIT" In parliament, lawmakers from all sides spent three hours mostly attacking the draft, agreed with the EU on Tuesday after more than a year of difficult negotiations. "No democratic nation has ever signed up to be bound by such an extensive regime, imposed externally without any democratic control over the laws to be applied, nor the ability to decide to exit the arrangement," Raab said in his resignation letter. Others said the so-called "Irish backstop", to be used if no better way can be found to avoid future checks on the border between the British province of Northern Ireland and EU-member Ireland, would tear Britain apart, leaving Northern Ireland all but inside the EU's single market. It was this arrangement, which sees Britain and the EU establishing a single customs territory, but Northern Ireland aligned more closely with the EU, that spurred most criticism. The DUP has threatened to pull its support from the minority government if the backstop means the province is treated differently from mainland Britain. EU leaders are ready to meet on Nov. 25 to sign off on the divorce deal, or Withdrawal Agreement, but French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe summed up the uncertainty when he said events in London raised concerns about whether it would be ratified. "We need to prepare ourselves for a no-deal Brexit," he said. A group of EU states including France also raised objections to what has been agreed so far on fishing between the EU and UK after Brexit, diplomatic sources said. Raab, 44, was named Brexit secretary in July after the resignation of his predecessor David Davis, who also quit in protest at May's strategy. At the heart of Raab's criticism was the belief that the pursuit of a temporary customs union with the EU would be the starting point for talks on the future relationship with the bloc, "severely prejudicing" what Britain could achieve. He said he could not support an indefinite backstop arrangement, and that May's plan threatened the integrity of the United Kingdom.

'I'm going to see this through': UK PM May vows to fight for Brexit deal

The pound rebounded slightly Friday after Britain's currency was hammered by Brexit fears, while stock markets diverged and oil prices rallied once more.

Around 1145 GMT, the pound was up about 0.35 per cent against the dollar and euro.

The UK currency had slumped 1.7 per cent against the dollar on Thursday, the biggest drop for more than two years.

The same day, the euro jumped 1.9 per cent against the pound, its strongest performance since June 2016, or immediate aftermath of the Brexit referendum.

"Stability in the pound... could be short-lived, with clamours for a vote of no confidence from Conservative Brexiteers meaning the political upheaval will continue as we end the week," noted Joshua Mahony, market analyst at IG trading group.

British Prime Minister Theresa May faced the public on Friday to defend her Brexit deal as she battles to salvage the agreement and her own political future.

May made a rare outing on a radio phone-in during which she faced a call to step down after a tumultuous Thursday in which ministers resigned and members of her own party plotted to oust her.

Brexiteer MPs fear the draft deal would keep Britain shackled to the Brussels, while EU supporters say it would leave the UK on worse terms than it has inside the bloc.

Elsewhere on Friday, European stock markets traded narrowly mixed.

European Central Bank President Mario Draghi on Friday said that he saw "no reason" why growth in the eurozone should wither even after a sharp slowdown in the third quarter.

Asian stock markets meanwhile swung throughout Friday as investors weighed China-US trade speculation.

Hopes that the world's top two economies are making efforts to resolve their painful tariffs standoff provided support to global markets, though conflicting reports were keeping any optimism in check.

On Thursday it was reported that China had handed the US a number of trade concessions as part of a move to smooth relations ahead of a G20 summit where Donald Trump is expected to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping.

The Financial Times said the two sides were stepping up efforts and that US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer had told business leaders the next round of tariffs would be put on hold. While Lighthizer's office denied that, observers said the news still provided some hope.

In commodities trading, oil prices rose strongly, having been hammered by oversupply and weak demand concerns earlier this week.

Despite data showing another jump in US stockpiles the commodity is enjoying some much-needed buying interest after kingpin Saudi Arabia said it plans to cut output and called on other producers to follow suit.

Adding to the upward pressure on crude futures are simmering tensions between Riyadh and Washington over the death of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, with the US imposing sanctions on several senior officials in the Saudi government.

Rob Thummel, managing director at Tortoise, said the imposition of the sanctions "puts some risk back into the market", which had been hit by a continuous build-up in US inventories.

Bitcoin meanwhile recovered to stand at $5,499.49.

Key figures around 1135 GMT

Pound/dollar: UP at $1.2812 from $1.2778 at 2200 GMT

Euro/pound: DOWN at 88.43 pence from 88.64 pence

Euro/dollar: UP at $1.1329 from $1.1325&nbsp;

London - FTSE 100: DOWN 0.4 per cent at 7,012.05 points

Frankfurt - DAX 30: UP 0.1 per cent at 11,359.91

Paris - CAC 40: DOWN 0.1 per cent at 5,029.29

EURO STOXX 50: DOWN 0.1 per cent at 3,186.63&nbsp;

Tokyo - Nikkei 225: DOWN 0.6 per cent at 21,680.34 (close)

Hong Kong - Hang Seng: UP 0.3 per cent at 26,183.53 (close)

Shanghai - Composite: UP 0.4 per cent at 2,679.11 (close)

New York - Dow: UP 0.8 per cent at 25,290.39 (close)

Oil - Brent Crude: UP $1.13 at $67.75 per barrel

Oil - West Texas Intermediate: UP 92 cents at $57.38

The pound rebounded slightly Friday after Britain's currency was hammered by Brexit fears, while stock markets diverged and oil prices rallied once more. Around 1145 GMT, the pound was up about 0.

The pound rebounded slightly Friday after Britain's currency was hammered by Brexit fears, while stock markets diverged and oil prices rallied once more. Around 1145 GMT, the pound was up about 0.35 per cent against the dollar and euro. The UK currency had slumped 1.7 per cent against the dollar on Thursday, the biggest drop for more than two years. The same day, the euro jumped 1.9 per cent against the pound, its strongest performance since June 2016, or immediate aftermath of the Brexit referendum. "Stability in the pound... could be short-lived, with clamours for a vote of no confidence from Conservative Brexiteers meaning the political upheaval will continue as we end the week," noted Joshua Mahony, market analyst at IG trading group. British Prime Minister Theresa May faced the public on Friday to defend her Brexit deal as she battles to salvage the agreement and her own political future. May made a rare outing on a radio phone-in during which she faced a call to step down after a tumultuous Thursday in which ministers resigned and members of her own party plotted to oust her. Brexiteer MPs fear the draft deal would keep Britain shackled to the Brussels, while EU supporters say it would leave the UK on worse terms than it has inside the bloc. Elsewhere on Friday, European stock markets traded narrowly mixed. European Central Bank President Mario Draghi on Friday said that he saw "no reason" why growth in the eurozone should wither even after a sharp slowdown in the third quarter. Asian stock markets meanwhile swung throughout Friday as investors weighed China-US trade speculation. Hopes that the world's top two economies are making efforts to resolve their painful tariffs standoff provided support to global markets, though conflicting reports were keeping any optimism in check. On Thursday it was reported that China had handed the US a number of trade concessions as part of a move to smooth relations ahead of a G20 summit where Donald Trump is expected to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping. The Financial Times said the two sides were stepping up efforts and that US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer had told business leaders the next round of tariffs would be put on hold. While Lighthizer's office denied that, observers said the news still provided some hope. In commodities trading, oil prices rose strongly, having been hammered by oversupply and weak demand concerns earlier this week. Despite data showing another jump in US stockpiles the commodity is enjoying some much-needed buying interest after kingpin Saudi Arabia said it plans to cut output and called on other producers to follow suit. Adding to the upward pressure on crude futures are simmering tensions between Riyadh and Washington over the death of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, with the US imposing sanctions on several senior officials in the Saudi government. Rob Thummel, managing director at Tortoise, said the imposition of the sanctions "puts some risk back into the market", which had been hit by a continuous build-up in US inventories. Bitcoin meanwhile recovered to stand at $5,499.49. Key figures around 1135 GMT Pound/dollar: UP at $1.2812 from $1.2778 at 2200 GMT Euro/pound: DOWN at 88.43 pence from 88.64 pence Euro/dollar: UP at $1.1329 from $1.1325 London - FTSE 100: DOWN 0.4 per cent at 7,012.05 points Frankfurt - DAX 30: UP 0.1 per cent at 11,359.91 Paris - CAC 40: DOWN 0.1 per cent at 5,029.29 EURO STOXX 50: DOWN 0.1 per cent at 3,186.63 Tokyo - Nikkei 225: DOWN 0.6 per cent at 21,680.34 (close) Hong Kong - Hang Seng: UP 0.3 per cent at 26,183.53 (close) Shanghai - Composite: UP 0.4 per cent at 2,679.11 (close) New York - Dow: UP 0.8 per cent at 25,290.39 (close) Oil - Brent Crude: UP $1.13 at $67.75 per barrel Oil - West Texas Intermediate: UP 92 cents at $57.38

Pound rebounds after Brexit upheaval rout

Prime Minister Theresa May will face a <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/factbox-who-has-submitted-letters-of-no-confidence-in-uk-pm-may-177703">no-confidence vote</a> next week with Conservative lawmakers expected to submit the 48 letters required to trigger a leadership contest on Friday, a reporter at the Daily Telegraph said.

May could face the no-confidence vote on Tuesday, Telegraph Chief Political Correspondent Christopher Hope said on Twitter, citing Brexiteer sources.

Some lawmakers in Prime Minister Theresa May's Conservative Party have said they have submitted letters of no confidence in the British leader.

A leadership challenge is triggered if 48 Conservatives write such letters to the chairman of the party`s so-called 1922 committee, Graham Brady.

May could be toppled if 158 of her 315 lawmakers vote against her.

Brady has not said how many letters have been submitted. It is not clear how he would announce any vote.

&nbsp;

Prime Minister Theresa May will face a no-confidence vote next week with Conservative lawmakers expected to submit the 48 letters required to trigger a leadership contest on Friday, a reporter at the Daily Telegraph said.

Prime Minister Theresa May will face a no-confidence vote next week with Conservative lawmakers expected to submit the 48 letters required to trigger a leadership contest on Friday, a reporter at the Daily Telegraph said. May could face the no-confidence vote on Tuesday, Telegraph Chief Political Correspondent Christopher Hope said on Twitter, citing Brexiteer sources. Some lawmakers in Prime Minister Theresa May's Conservative Party have said they have submitted letters of no confidence in the British leader. A leadership challenge is triggered if 48 Conservatives write such letters to the chairman of the party`s so-called 1922 committee, Graham Brady. May could be toppled if 158 of her 315 lawmakers vote against her. Brady has not said how many letters have been submitted. It is not clear how he would announce any vote.

UK PM May will face no confidence vote next week: Report

British Prime Minister Theresa May was fighting for survival on Friday after a <a href="http://www.wionews.com/europe/european-council-to-meet-on-november-25th-to-formalise-brexit-agreement-northern-ireland-minister-resigns-from-mays-cabinet-177484">draft divorce deal with the European Union</a> provoked the resignations of senior ministers and mutiny in her party.

More than <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/brexit-protests-outside-downing-street-as-uk-ministers-debate-deal-177387">two years after the United Kingdom voted to leave the EU</a>, it is still unclear how, on what terms or even if it will leave the EU as planned on March 29, 2019.

May, who won the top job in the turmoil that followed the 2016 referendum, has sought to negotiate a Brexit deal that ensures that the United Kingdom leaves in the smoothest way possible.

But Brexit minister Dominic Raab <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/british-pm-theresa-may-battling-to-save-her-job-brexit-deal-after-4-ministers-quit-177575">resigned on Thursday</a> over her deal, sending the pound tumbling. Mutinous lawmakers in her own party openly sought to challenge her leadership and bluntly told her that the Brexit deal would not pass parliament.

May, who has vowed to stay on as prime minister, was asked by a caller on an LBC radio phone-in on Friday to "respectfully stand down". She did not immediately address that part of the caller's question.

"I haven't appointed a new Brexit Secretary yet but of course I will be doing that over the course of the next day or so," May said when asked if she had offered it to Michael Gove, the most prominent Brexit-supporting minister in her government.

Gove, 51, gave no comment when asked outside his house whether he would support May. The BBC said May had offered him the job of Brexit minister but he had rejected the job.

Media reports, citing sources close to Gove who torpedoed former foreign minister Boris Johnson's leadership bid in 2016 at the last minute, will stay as environment minister.

Sterling, which has see-sawed on Brexit news since the referendum, was flat at $1.2783 on Friday, down almost three cents since a deal was struck on Tuesday.

Brexit will pitch the world's fifth largest economy into the unknown. Many fear it will divide the West as it grapples with both the unconventional U.S. presidency of Donald Trump and growing assertiveness from Russia and China.

Amid the deepest political turmoil since the Suez canal crisis, when in 1956 Britain was forced by the United States to withdraw its troops from Egypt, the ultimate outcome remains uncertain.

Brexit challenge

Scenarios include May's deal ultimately winning approval; May losing her job; Britain leaving the bloc with no agreement; or even another referendum.

To leave the EU on the terms of her deal, May would need to get the backing of about 320 of parliament's 650 lawmakers. The deal is due to be discussed at an EU summit on November 25.

Some lawmakers in May's Conservative Party have said they have submitted letters of no confidence. When 48 letters are submitted to the party's so-called 1922 committee, she will face a leadership challenge.

Politicians, officials and diplomats in London openly questioned how long May had left as speculation swirled around London that a leadership challenge could come soon.

Sky said government whips, who enforce discipline in the party, had been summoned to parliament as a challenge was close. If a confidence vote is called among her lawmakers, May would need a simple majority of the total votes in order to win.

By seeking to preserve the closest possible ties with the EU, May has upset her party's many advocates of a clean break, and Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), which props up her minority government.

The Daily Telegraph newspaper reported that the DUP had demanded May be replaced as prime minister.

"Oh I haven't had a testy exchange with Arlene," May said. "They've raised some questions with us, they've raised some concerns with us and yes we are looking at those.

"We are still working with the DUP," she said.

Nightmare for business?

The EU and Britain need an agreement to keep trade flowing between the world's biggest trading bloc and the United Kingdom, home to the biggest international financial centre.

May said she felt the threat of a no deal Brexit personally as she was Type 1 diabetic: "I depend on insulin every day. My insulin is produced by a country elsewhere in the European Union."

British aero-engine maker Rolls-Royce said it was continuing with its contingency plans.

The plans include "buffer stocks so that we have all the logistical capacity that we need to carry on running our business," said Chief Executive Warren East.

Supporters of Brexit say that while the divorce might bring some short-term instability, in the longer term it will allow the United Kingdom to thrive and also enable deeper EU integration without such a powerful reluctant member.

Meanwhile, proponents of closer relations with the EU in her own party and the Labour opposition say the deal squanders the advantages of membership for little gain.

"It is ... mathematically impossible to get this deal through the House of Commons. The stark reality is that it was dead on arrival," said Conservative Brexit-supporting lawmaker Mark Francois.

British Prime Minister Theresa May was fighting for survival on Friday after a draft divorce deal with the European Union provoked the resignations of senior ministers and mutiny in her party.

British Prime Minister Theresa May was fighting for survival on Friday after a draft divorce deal with the European Union provoked the resignations of senior ministers and mutiny in her party. More than two years after the United Kingdom voted to leave the EU, it is still unclear how, on what terms or even if it will leave the EU as planned on March 29, 2019. May, who won the top job in the turmoil that followed the 2016 referendum, has sought to negotiate a Brexit deal that ensures that the United Kingdom leaves in the smoothest way possible. But Brexit minister Dominic Raab resigned on Thursday over her deal, sending the pound tumbling. Mutinous lawmakers in her own party openly sought to challenge her leadership and bluntly told her that the Brexit deal would not pass parliament. May, who has vowed to stay on as prime minister, was asked by a caller on an LBC radio phone-in on Friday to "respectfully stand down". She did not immediately address that part of the caller's question. "I haven't appointed a new Brexit Secretary yet but of course I will be doing that over the course of the next day or so," May said when asked if she had offered it to Michael Gove, the most prominent Brexit-supporting minister in her government. Gove, 51, gave no comment when asked outside his house whether he would support May. The BBC said May had offered him the job of Brexit minister but he had rejected the job. Media reports, citing sources close to Gove who torpedoed former foreign minister Boris Johnson's leadership bid in 2016 at the last minute, will stay as environment minister. Sterling, which has see-sawed on Brexit news since the referendum, was flat at $1.2783 on Friday, down almost three cents since a deal was struck on Tuesday. Brexit will pitch the world's fifth largest economy into the unknown. Many fear it will divide the West as it grapples with both the unconventional U.S. presidency of Donald Trump and growing assertiveness from Russia and China. Amid the deepest political turmoil since the Suez canal crisis, when in 1956 Britain was forced by the United States to withdraw its troops from Egypt, the ultimate outcome remains uncertain. Brexit challenge Scenarios include May's deal ultimately winning approval; May losing her job; Britain leaving the bloc with no agreement; or even another referendum. To leave the EU on the terms of her deal, May would need to get the backing of about 320 of parliament's 650 lawmakers. The deal is due to be discussed at an EU summit on November 25. Some lawmakers in May's Conservative Party have said they have submitted letters of no confidence. When 48 letters are submitted to the party's so-called 1922 committee, she will face a leadership challenge. Politicians, officials and diplomats in London openly questioned how long May had left as speculation swirled around London that a leadership challenge could come soon. Sky said government whips, who enforce discipline in the party, had been summoned to parliament as a challenge was close. If a confidence vote is called among her lawmakers, May would need a simple majority of the total votes in order to win. By seeking to preserve the closest possible ties with the EU, May has upset her party's many advocates of a clean break, and Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), which props up her minority government. The Daily Telegraph newspaper reported that the DUP had demanded May be replaced as prime minister. "Oh I haven't had a testy exchange with Arlene," May said. "They've raised some questions with us, they've raised some concerns with us and yes we are looking at those. "We are still working with the DUP," she said. Nightmare for business? The EU and Britain need an agreement to keep trade flowing between the world's biggest trading bloc and the United Kingdom, home to the biggest international financial centre. May said she felt the threat of a no deal Brexit personally as she was Type 1 diabetic: "I depend on insulin every day. My insulin is produced by a country elsewhere in the European Union." British aero-engine maker Rolls-Royce said it was continuing with its contingency plans. The plans include "buffer stocks so that we have all the logistical capacity that we need to carry on running our business," said Chief Executive Warren East. Supporters of Brexit say that while the divorce might bring some short-term instability, in the longer term it will allow the United Kingdom to thrive and also enable deeper EU integration without such a powerful reluctant member. Meanwhile, proponents of closer relations with the EU in her own party and the Labour opposition say the deal squanders the advantages of membership for little gain. "It is ... mathematically impossible to get this deal through the House of Commons. The stark reality is that it was dead on arrival," said Conservative Brexit-supporting lawmaker Mark Francois.

UK PM Theresa May fights for survival after Brexit deal sparks crisis

Some lawmakers in Prime Minister Theresa May's Conservative Party have said they have submitted letters of no confidence in the British leader.

A leadership challenge is triggered if 48 Conservatives write such letters to the chairman of the party`s so-called 1922 committee, Graham Brady. May could be toppled if 158 of her 315 lawmakers vote against her.

Brady has not said how many letters have been submitted. It is not clear how he would announce any vote.

Lawmakers do not have to reveal publicly whether they have written a letter, but those below have chosen to do so:&nbsp;

1) JACOB REES-MOGG - submitted his letter on Thursday 
"It is of considerable importance that politicians stick to their commitments or do not make such commitments in the first place. Regrettably, this is not the situation," he said in his letter.

2) HENRY SMITH - tweeted a picture of his letter on Thursday 
"With regret, I have to inform you I have lost confidence in Theresa May as leader of the Conservative Party and British Prime Minister," it said.

3) SHERYLL MURRAY - said on Thursday she had submitted a letter. 
"I have lost confidence in the Brexit policy of the Prime Minister and have therefore written to the Chairman of the 1922 Committee asking for a vote to take place over her leadership," she said on Twitter.

4) ANNE MARIE-MORRIS - said on Thursday she had submitted a letter 
"I feel that with Theresa, she is the wrong leader at this time, and I`ve put in my letter asking for a vote of no confidence. I am not alone and I do it with a heavy heart but now it`s the country that matter more than absolutely anything else," she told the BBC.

5) LEE ROWLEY - said on Thursday he had submitted a letter 
"I`ve written that because sadly I have come to the conclusion that the prime minister isn`t going to change her policy and I wish she would," he told ITV news.

6) STEVE BAKER - submitted his letter on Oct. 22 after an article by May in the Sun newspaper persuaded him "we could not separate the person from the policy" 
"While I am clear these (proposals) will be defeated in the commons, there seems little point allowing the Captain to continue running the ship towards the rocks and so I write with regret to request a vote of no confidence in our leader."

7) SIMON CLARKE - "My letter is in," he told reporters on Thursday outside a meeting of the influential ERG eurosceptic group of Conservative lawmakers.

8) JAMES DUDDRIDGE - announced he had submitted his letter just minutes before May took to the stage for her speech at the Conservative annual conference in October 
"I don`t know any Conservative MPs that expect Theresa May to be leading us in the next general election ... Given that`s the case, let`s get on, let`s make the change now and let`s get someone that believes in Brexit delivering Brexit," he told Sky News at the time.

9) ANDREA JENKYNS - submitted her letter in June 
"She can fight it. But I am confident she will not win it. Time to save Brexit and our party with a new leader," she said on Twitter.

10) ANDREW BRIDGEN - submitted his letter in July 
"All we have asked from the Prime Minister, is that she sticks to what she has promised on repeated occasions when she declared that `Brexit means Brexit` and pledged to take back control of our money, borders and laws. But it now appears those promises are all a pretence and a charade intended to dupe the electorate," he said in his letter, according to media reports.

11) PHILIP DAVIES - submitted his letter in July 
"Politics is all about trust and once it is lost it is impossible to win back. Many people have told me that as a result of this they have lost trust in the PM to properly and fully deliver the referendum result. It is with much sadness that I have to say that I have also lost trust in her to deliver the referendum result too," he said in a letter to constituents.

12) PETER BONE - submitted his letter some time ago 
"I’ve always wanted the policy to change not necessarily the prime minister but when the prime minister won’t change the policy the only way to change the policy is to change the prime minister," he told the BBC on Thursday.&nbsp;

13) NADINE DORRIES - submitted her letter some weeks ago 
"The writing has been on the wall for some time," she said on Twitter on Thursday.

14) MARTIN VICKERS - submitted his letter in July 
"It was clear at that time further concessions were inevitable &amp; now we have a much worse agreement that fails to deliver what my constituents voted for in the referendum when they delivered a considered verdict that we should leave," he told a local newspaper reporter.

15) ADAM HOLLOWAY - submitted his letter on Thursday 
"My letter of no confidence has now been delivered - with regret. Mrs May is a remarkable woman - just look at her fortitude today in the House of Commons, even more please remember her long career of public service."

16) JOHN WHITTINGDALE - told the BBC on Friday&nbsp; 
"Yes, I have sent a letter to Graham Brady"

17) LAURENCE ROBERTSON - told the BBC his letter was submitted months ago 
"I was concerned at the direction Theresa May was taking these negotiations and was dragging them out, and I wrote that letter some months ago." 
&nbsp;

Some lawmakers in Prime Minister Theresa May's Conservative Party have said they have submitted letters of no confidence in the British leader. A leadership challenge is triggered if 48 Conservatives write such letters to the chairman of the party`s so-called 1922 committee, Graham Brady.

Some lawmakers in Prime Minister Theresa May's Conservative Party have said they have submitted letters of no confidence in the British leader. A leadership challenge is triggered if 48 Conservatives write such letters to the chairman of the party`s so-called 1922 committee, Graham Brady. May could be toppled if 158 of her 315 lawmakers vote against her. Brady has not said how many letters have been submitted. It is not clear how he would announce any vote. Lawmakers do not have to reveal publicly whether they have written a letter, but those below have chosen to do so: 1) JACOB REES-MOGG - submitted his letter on Thursday "It is of considerable importance that politicians stick to their commitments or do not make such commitments in the first place. Regrettably, this is not the situation," he said in his letter. 2) HENRY SMITH - tweeted a picture of his letter on Thursday "With regret, I have to inform you I have lost confidence in Theresa May as leader of the Conservative Party and British Prime Minister," it said. 3) SHERYLL MURRAY - said on Thursday she had submitted a letter. "I have lost confidence in the Brexit policy of the Prime Minister and have therefore written to the Chairman of the 1922 Committee asking for a vote to take place over her leadership," she said on Twitter. 4) ANNE MARIE-MORRIS - said on Thursday she had submitted a letter "I feel that with Theresa, she is the wrong leader at this time, and I`ve put in my letter asking for a vote of no confidence. I am not alone and I do it with a heavy heart but now it`s the country that matter more than absolutely anything else," she told the BBC. 5) LEE ROWLEY - said on Thursday he had submitted a letter "I`ve written that because sadly I have come to the conclusion that the prime minister isn`t going to change her policy and I wish she would," he told ITV news. 6) STEVE BAKER - submitted his letter on Oct. 22 after an article by May in the Sun newspaper persuaded him "we could not separate the person from the policy" "While I am clear these (proposals) will be defeated in the commons, there seems little point allowing the Captain to continue running the ship towards the rocks and so I write with regret to request a vote of no confidence in our leader." 7) SIMON CLARKE - "My letter is in," he told reporters on Thursday outside a meeting of the influential ERG eurosceptic group of Conservative lawmakers. 8) JAMES DUDDRIDGE - announced he had submitted his letter just minutes before May took to the stage for her speech at the Conservative annual conference in October "I don`t know any Conservative MPs that expect Theresa May to be leading us in the next general election ... Given that`s the case, let`s get on, let`s make the change now and let`s get someone that believes in Brexit delivering Brexit," he told Sky News at the time. 9) ANDREA JENKYNS - submitted her letter in June "She can fight it. But I am confident she will not win it. Time to save Brexit and our party with a new leader," she said on Twitter. 10) ANDREW BRIDGEN - submitted his letter in July "All we have asked from the Prime Minister, is that she sticks to what she has promised on repeated occasions when she declared that `Brexit means Brexit` and pledged to take back control of our money, borders and laws. But it now appears those promises are all a pretence and a charade intended to dupe the electorate," he said in his letter, according to media reports. 11) PHILIP DAVIES - submitted his letter in July "Politics is all about trust and once it is lost it is impossible to win back. Many people have told me that as a result of this they have lost trust in the PM to properly and fully deliver the referendum result. It is with much sadness that I have to say that I have also lost trust in her to deliver the referendum result too," he said in a letter to constituents. 12) PETER BONE - submitted his letter some time ago "I’ve always wanted the policy to change not necessarily the prime minister but when the prime minister won’t change the policy the only way to change the policy is to change the prime minister," he told the BBC on Thursday. 13) NADINE DORRIES - submitted her letter some weeks ago "The writing has been on the wall for some time," she said on Twitter on Thursday. 14) MARTIN VICKERS - submitted his letter in July "It was clear at that time further concessions were inevitable & now we have a much worse agreement that fails to deliver what my constituents voted for in the referendum when they delivered a considered verdict that we should leave," he told a local newspaper reporter. 15) ADAM HOLLOWAY - submitted his letter on Thursday "My letter of no confidence has now been delivered - with regret. Mrs May is a remarkable woman - just look at her fortitude today in the House of Commons, even more please remember her long career of public service." 16) JOHN WHITTINGDALE - told the BBC on Friday "Yes, I have sent a letter to Graham Brady" 17) LAURENCE ROBERTSON - told the BBC his letter was submitted months ago "I was concerned at the direction Theresa May was taking these negotiations and was dragging them out, and I wrote that letter some months ago."

Factbox: Who has submitted letters of no confidence in UK PM May?

Prime Minister Theresa May battled on Thursday to save a draft divorce deal with the European Union after her Brexit secretary and other ministers quit in protest and eurosceptic lawmakers stepped up efforts to topple her.

A day after May announced that her team of top ministers had agreed to the terms of the draft deal, Brexit minister Dominic Raab and work and pensions minister Esther McVey resigned.

Lawmakers suggested other ministers would quit and eurosceptics in May's Conservative Party said they had submitted letters calling for a no confidence vote in her leadership.

Two junior ministers and two ministerial aides also quit and the resignations and hostility to the deal from ruling party and opposition lawmakers in parliament left May's Brexit strategy in doubt and raised the risk of Britain leaving the EU on March 29 without a deal.

Jacob Rees-Mogg, the leader of a Conservative eurosceptic group in parliament, submitted his letter calling for a vote of no confidence in May, saying the draft deal was "worse than anticipated".

A leadership challenge is triggered if 48 Conservatives write such letters. May could be toppled if 158 of her 315 lawmakers vote against her.

One eurosceptic lawmaker said more colleagues were either putting in letters or were increasingly minded to do so.

But the prime minister showed <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/theresa-may-says-no-brexit-is-an-alternative-to-draft-deal-177526">little sign of backing down</a>. She told parliament: "The choice is clear. We can choose to leave with no deal, we can risk no Brexit at all, or we can choose to unite and support the best deal that can be negotiated."

Her spokesman said May would fight any confidence vote and she intended to be prime minister when Britain leaves the bloc next year.

Boris Johnson, a leading critic of May's Brexit plans who has done little to hide his political ambition, attended a meeting of the European Research Group, where Rees-Mogg and members discussed how many no-confidence letters had gone in.

Rees-Mogg told journalists the next prime minister should be a person who believed in Brexit.

STRATEGY IN DOUBT

In the markets, sterling fell to a day's low against the eruo and shares in British companies were hit.

British financial regulators called major banks asking for feedback on market conditions because of sharp falls in the pound and shares, sources said.

In parliament, lawmakers from the ruling and opposition parties spent three hours mostly rubbishing the draft deal, agreed with the EU on Tuesday, which May must get approved by the House of Commons. Many said it made Britain a "vassal" state, beholden to the bloc's rules even after leaving.

Others said an agreement on the so-called backstop would tear Britain apart, leaving Northern Ireland all but in the EU's single market.

"It is ... mathematically impossible to get this deal through the House of Commons. The stark reality is that it was dead on arrival," Conservative lawmaker Mark Francois said.

It was the backstop arrangement, which would see Britain and the EU establishing a single customs territory, that spurred most of the criticism.

"I cannot reconcile the terms of the proposed deal with the promises we made to the country in our manifesto at the last election," Raab said.

EU leaders are ready to meet on Nov. 25 to sign off on the divorce deal, or Withdrawal Agreement, but French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe summed up the uncertainty when he said events in London raised concerns about whether it would be ratified.

"We need to prepare ourselves for a no-deal Brexit," he said.

A group of EU states also raised objections to what has been agreed so far on fishing between the EU and UK after Brexit, diplomatic sources said.

'DEAD IN THE WATER'

Britain's opposition Labour Party said the government was "falling apart".

"Theresa May has no authority left and is clearly incapable of delivering a Brexit deal that commands even the support of her cabinet, let alone parliament and the people of our country," said Jon Trickett, a member of Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn's senior team.

Raab, 44, was appointed to the role of Brexit secretary in July after the resignation of his predecessor David Davis, who also quit in protest at May's Brexit strategy.

At the heart of Raab's criticism of May's deal was the belief that the pursuit of a customs union with the EU would be the "starting point" for talks on the future relationship with the bloc, "severely prejudicing" what Britain could achieve.

He said May's plan threatened the integrity of Britain and he could not support an indefinite backstop arrangement.

The backstop arrangement, to come into force if a future trade deal does not prevent the return of a hard border between the British province of Northern Ireland and EU-member Ireland, has been the main obstacle to a deal with the bloc and the agreement of her ministers.

Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), which props up May in parliament, had threatened to pull its support from the minority government if the backstop meant the province was treated differently from the rest of mainland Britain.

"No democratic nation has ever signed up to be bound by such an extensive regime, imposed externally without any democratic control over the laws to be applied, nor the ability to decide to exit the arrangement," Raab said in his resignation letter.

Eurosceptics in May's party have long feared the prime minister was leading Britain towards a customs union with the EU, something that, they say, would mean a Brexit in name only.

Ian Blackford, the Scottish National Party's leader in the House of Commons, said the deal was "dead in the water".

Prime Minister Theresa May battled on Thursday to save a draft divorce deal with the European Union after her Brexit secretary and other ministers quit in protest and eurosceptic lawmakers stepped up efforts to topple her.

Prime Minister Theresa May battled on Thursday to save a draft divorce deal with the European Union after her Brexit secretary and other ministers quit in protest and eurosceptic lawmakers stepped up efforts to topple her. A day after May announced that her team of top ministers had agreed to the terms of the draft deal, Brexit minister Dominic Raab and work and pensions minister Esther McVey resigned. Lawmakers suggested other ministers would quit and eurosceptics in May's Conservative Party said they had submitted letters calling for a no confidence vote in her leadership. Two junior ministers and two ministerial aides also quit and the resignations and hostility to the deal from ruling party and opposition lawmakers in parliament left May's Brexit strategy in doubt and raised the risk of Britain leaving the EU on March 29 without a deal. Jacob Rees-Mogg, the leader of a Conservative eurosceptic group in parliament, submitted his letter calling for a vote of no confidence in May, saying the draft deal was "worse than anticipated". A leadership challenge is triggered if 48 Conservatives write such letters. May could be toppled if 158 of her 315 lawmakers vote against her. One eurosceptic lawmaker said more colleagues were either putting in letters or were increasingly minded to do so. But the prime minister showed little sign of backing down. She told parliament: "The choice is clear. We can choose to leave with no deal, we can risk no Brexit at all, or we can choose to unite and support the best deal that can be negotiated." Her spokesman said May would fight any confidence vote and she intended to be prime minister when Britain leaves the bloc next year. Boris Johnson, a leading critic of May's Brexit plans who has done little to hide his political ambition, attended a meeting of the European Research Group, where Rees-Mogg and members discussed how many no-confidence letters had gone in. Rees-Mogg told journalists the next prime minister should be a person who believed in Brexit. STRATEGY IN DOUBT In the markets, sterling fell to a day's low against the eruo and shares in British companies were hit. British financial regulators called major banks asking for feedback on market conditions because of sharp falls in the pound and shares, sources said. In parliament, lawmakers from the ruling and opposition parties spent three hours mostly rubbishing the draft deal, agreed with the EU on Tuesday, which May must get approved by the House of Commons. Many said it made Britain a "vassal" state, beholden to the bloc's rules even after leaving. Others said an agreement on the so-called backstop would tear Britain apart, leaving Northern Ireland all but in the EU's single market. "It is ... mathematically impossible to get this deal through the House of Commons. The stark reality is that it was dead on arrival," Conservative lawmaker Mark Francois said. It was the backstop arrangement, which would see Britain and the EU establishing a single customs territory, that spurred most of the criticism. "I cannot reconcile the terms of the proposed deal with the promises we made to the country in our manifesto at the last election," Raab said. EU leaders are ready to meet on Nov. 25 to sign off on the divorce deal, or Withdrawal Agreement, but French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe summed up the uncertainty when he said events in London raised concerns about whether it would be ratified. "We need to prepare ourselves for a no-deal Brexit," he said. A group of EU states also raised objections to what has been agreed so far on fishing between the EU and UK after Brexit, diplomatic sources said. 'DEAD IN THE WATER' Britain's opposition Labour Party said the government was "falling apart". "Theresa May has no authority left and is clearly incapable of delivering a Brexit deal that commands even the support of her cabinet, let alone parliament and the people of our country," said Jon Trickett, a member of Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn's senior team. Raab, 44, was appointed to the role of Brexit secretary in July after the resignation of his predecessor David Davis, who also quit in protest at May's Brexit strategy. At the heart of Raab's criticism of May's deal was the belief that the pursuit of a customs union with the EU would be the "starting point" for talks on the future relationship with the bloc, "severely prejudicing" what Britain could achieve. He said May's plan threatened the integrity of Britain and he could not support an indefinite backstop arrangement. The backstop arrangement, to come into force if a future trade deal does not prevent the return of a hard border between the British province of Northern Ireland and EU-member Ireland, has been the main obstacle to a deal with the bloc and the agreement of her ministers. Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), which props up May in parliament, had threatened to pull its support from the minority government if the backstop meant the province was treated differently from the rest of mainland Britain. "No democratic nation has ever signed up to be bound by such an extensive regime, imposed externally without any democratic control over the laws to be applied, nor the ability to decide to exit the arrangement," Raab said in his resignation letter. Eurosceptics in May's party have long feared the prime minister was leading Britain towards a customs union with the EU, something that, they say, would mean a Brexit in name only. Ian Blackford, the Scottish National Party's leader in the House of Commons, said the deal was "dead in the water".

UK PM Theresa May battles to save her job, Brexit deal after 4 ministers quit

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