Give way or else, Brussels tells Theresa

EUROPEAN leaders dramatically ramped up pressure on Theresa May over Brexit yesterday.

They warned talks face being stalled until December unless Theresa May makes ‘concrete’ concessions at a key summit tonight.

Mrs May will attempt to break the impasse over the Irish backstop by addressing EU leaders before a dinner in Brussels this evening.

She has indicated she can compromise no further, but the EU insists it is up to Britain to break the deadlock.

Yesterday, European Council chief Donald Tusk suggested that a planned November summit could be cancelled without a breakthrough – and that a ‘no deal’ exit was now ‘more likely than ever before’.

Mr Tusk said: ‘For a breakthrough to take place, besides good will we need new facts.

‘I am going to ask Prime Minister May whether she has concrete proposals on how to break the impasse. Only such proposals can determine if a breakthrough is possible.’

EU leaders will discuss if the November meeting should go ahead tonight. If they cancel the plans,

it would mean talks could not continue until December, when the next summit is scheduled – perilously close to the date of Britain’s departure from the EU next March.

Mr Tusk said a house of Commons debate on Monday, when Mrs May set out the British position to MPs, and briefings from EU officials had left him with ‘ no grounds of hope for a deal’.

The bloc’s leaders will also discuss stepping up ‘no deal’ preparations tonight.

however, France last night offered Mrs May one ray of hope after Paris suggested it is prepared to find a compromise to ensure any backstop would only be temporary.

A spokesman for French president emmanuel Macron said he was ready to support a compromise to secure a deal.

Yesterday, a French official said that although a deal at this summit is ‘unlikely’, there is ‘possible space to find an agreement’. This could meet British needs of a backstop being ‘temporary’ but ‘without too precise an end date’.