Theresa May’s Brexit plans in tatters as DUP call for long delay over backing her ‘toxic’ deal

Theresa May’s Brexit plans suffered another setback today as the Democratic Unionist Party said they would prefer to delay the UK’s departure from the EU over supporting her “toxic” deal.

Sammy Wilson, the DUP’s Brexit spokesman, said his party’s 10 MPs would only vote for the deal if there are “significant changes” to the text – something the EU has repeatedly ruled out.

Writing in the Telegraph, Wilson argued that a one year extension of EU membership would at least give the UK a say in matters decided in Brussels.

He wrote: “Surely this is a better strategy than volunteering to be locked into the prison of the withdrawal deal with the cell door key in the pocket of Michel Barnier?"

The uncompromising stance adopted by the DUP means the PM is unlikely to win a majority for a deal should she put it to MPs for a third time.

If the deal is not passed by this Friday, the UK has until 12 April to set out to the EU an alternative plan for Brexit in order to secure a longer delay.

As well as the DUP, May has also failed to win over some of the deal’s harshest critics in her own party.

At a meeting of the eurosceptic Bruges Group in Westminster this lunch time, former Brexit Minister Suella Braverman and veteran Tory backbencher Sir Christopher Chope tore in May’s deal.

Chope said: "Which noun best sums up the behaviour of the PM since the Lancaster House speech?"

"I wrote down a few. Betrayal, treachery deceit, duplicity, dishonesty, incompetence. But my favourite is chicanery – the use of deception or subterfuge to achieve one's purpose."

There was one positive note for the Prime Minister today as Jacob Rees-Mogg, chairman of the European Research Group of Conservative MPs, who said May’s deal “is better than not leaving at all.”