‘Rock solid’ core of 40 MPS ready to vote down May’s plan

with new proposals on the so-called “backstop” arrangements for Northern Ireland if no agreement on the province is reached.

It will consist of enhanced regulatory – but not customs – checks for goods crossing the Irish Sea.

Some goods, including agricultural products, are already subject to such checks.

Sebastian Kurz, the chancellor of Austria, which holds the rotating presidency of the EU, called for a softer approach.

He said: “I think it is important for both sides to move towards each other. To give a little.

“We’ve got to avoid a hard Brexit.” Jacob Rees-mogg, the leading Eurosceptic MP, said that Mr Tusk had reinforced the objections to the Chequers plan set out by Michel Barnier, the EU’S chief negotiator.

“Everyone expected that there would be some softening of Mr Barnier’s line. That hasn’t happened, it has been made firmer,” he told BBC News.

“I think Chequers now has no supporters at all. I doubt even the Downing Street cat is any longer backing the Chequers plan.

“I think the time has come for Mrs May to say ‘This is not going to work’.”

Steve Baker, the former Brexit minister, said: “The right compromise ground is not Chequers, which is upsetting everyone. The right understanding of common ground is that everyone prefers the idea of an advanced [free trade agreement] to exiting with nothing agreed.”

Last night David Davis, the former Brexit secretary, said there was a “rock solid” core of 40 MPS willing to vote down Mrs May’s Chequers plan in Parliament, putting her under increasing pressure to rethink he proposals in the face of growing negativity in the UK and EU.

Brexiteers are preparing to hijack the start of the conference in Birmingham by holding a “Chuck Chequers” rally near the main venue in a sign of the deepening divisions within the party over Mrs May’s plan.

Earlier, the leaders of the Czech Republic and Malta had suggested a second referendum should be held to give the British people the chance to rethink Brexit.

Joseph Muscat, the prime minister of Malta, said there was “almost unanimous” support among EU leaders for Britain to hold a second vote.

However, Mrs May restated her position: “We are going to leave the European Union, we will leave on March 29, 2019 and there will be no second referendum.”

‘Chequers now has no supporters at all. I doubt even the Downing Street cat is still backing the plan’