May facing resignations over ‘endless’ backstop

THERESA MAY is facing the threat of Cabinet resignations after she accepted EU demands that there should be no time limit on her controversial Brexit backstop plan.

The Prime Minister told her Brexit “war cabinet” yesterday that a proposal to keep Britain in a customs union with the EU until a trade deal could be agreed would have no end date, leading to fears the arrangement could become permanent.

At least three Eurosceptic Cabinet ministers are said to be considering quitting over the latest concession, which appears to contradict Mrs May’s promise earlier this year that the backstop would expire “at the very latest by the end of December 2021”.

Penny Mordaunt, the International Development Secretary, and Esther Mcvey, the Work and Pensions Secretary, have both refused to endorse the Prime Minister’s Chequers plan.

Andrea Leadsom, the Leader of the Commons, is also understood to have concerns.

The three were not invited to the meeting, but ministers who were present are understood to have raised concerns, including Jeremy Hunt,

the Foreign Secretary; Liam Fox, the International Trade Secretary; Dominic Raab, the Brexit Secretary; and Michael Gove, the Environment Secretary.

One source said that Eurosceptic ministers believe the plans represent a “betrayal” of Brexit”.

“It’s not what people voted for,” they said.

The Daily Telegraph has also learnt that ministers are discussing a plan to buy off the DUP, which has threatened to withdraw its support for the Government if Mrs May presses ahead with her backstop plan.

They are prepared to offer the DUP tens of millions of pounds on top of the £1billion already agreed as part of the party’s confidence-and-supply deal with the Conservatives as a sweetener to accept the backstop proposal.

But DUP sources said last night that money will not solve the problem – and Arlene Foster, the party’s leader, said they “could not in good conscience” support the deal being proposed. is a member of the Independent

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