Brexit deal: Theresa May faces growing Tory and DUP backlash over 'nonsense' agreement with EU

The level of opposition to the prime minister's proposals makes it look doubtful that it will pass through the commons

The scale of Theresa May’s challenge became clear on Thursday as Conservatives and her DUP partners in government attacked her Brexit deal.

A string of ex-cabinet ministers, including Boris Johnson and Dominic Raab, accused her of locking the UK into the EU’s sphere of influence after withdrawal.

They demanded the controversial Irish “backstop” be scrapped, along with a leading figure in the Northern Irish DUP who warned the PM that she cannot rely on his party’s backing.

With Labour’s Jeremy Corbyn also laying into the agreement won by Ms May, it looks increasingly difficult for the prime minister to win a vote on it expected early next month.

It came just hours after Ms May took to the steps of Downing Street to declare that the final elements of the Brexit deal had been agreed, ahead of a summit to sign it off at the weekend.

The prime minister urged MPs to come together behind her deal, telling them people were demanding people “move on to focus on the big issues” like the NHS.

But she faced a raft of criticism over her deal, the final part of which was settled following meetings with European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker on Wednesday night.

Former foreign secretary Mr Johnson said: “Can I regretfully point out to (Ms May) that of course nothing in the political declaration changes the hard reality of the withdrawal agreement that gives the EU a continuing veto over the unilateral power of the entire United Kingdom to do free trade deals or to take back control of our laws.”

“We can accept the generalities and self-contradictions contained within this political declaration, but we should junk forthwith the backstop, upon which the future economic partnership – according to this political declaration – is to be based, and which makes a complete nonsense of Brexit.”

The backstop mechanism binds the UK into a customs union with the EU, if no trade deal has been reached by the end of the Brexit transition period in December 2020, but many MPs wanted Britain to have a unilateral option to withdraw from it – something Ms May concluded is unobtainable.

His concerns were echoed by Mr Raab who recently quit Ms May’s cabinet and his job as Brexit secretary in protest at her plans.

He said: “The backstop ties the UK to the customs union and single market rules with no voice and an EU veto over our exit...the top reason people voted to leave the EU was to take back control over our laws.

“Isn’t it the regrettable but inescapable reality that this deal gives even more away?”

Other eurosceptics who attacked the PM’s plan included Iain Duncan Smith and Owen Paterson, whom the prime minister had attempted to persuade to back her deal in recent days – both also attacked the backstop.

Tory Brexiteer Sir Bill Cash told Ms May the Commons European scrutiny committee, which he chairs, would be holding an inquiry into “the Government’s handling and outcome of these negotiations”.

He said: “This declaration cannot be reconciled with the repeal of the 1972 act nor the referendum vote.”

Sir Jeffrey Donaldson, chief whip of the DUP propping up Ms May’s administration in the commons, called on the prime minister to dump the backstop and come forward with the alternatives.

He added: “If she wants to have the support of my party for the withdrawal agreement then we need to see an end to the backstop and those alternative arrangements put in place.”

Pro-EU Conservatives also attacked the deal with ex-education secretary Justine Greening and ex-attorney general Dominic Grieve calling for final say referendum to give the British the chance to vote on the final agreement.

Labour leader Mr Corbyn has said Ms May’s deal on the future relationship with the EU represents the “worst of all worlds”. Speaking in the Commons, he said the deal was “26 pages of waffle” that could have been written two years ago.

He said: “19 extra pages but nothing has changed. The only certainty contained within these pages is that the transition period will have to be extended or we will end up with a backstop and no exit.

“It represents the worst of all worlds, no say over the rules that will continue to apply and no certainty to the future.”

Speaking outside No 10​ ahead of the commons showdown, Ms May said the agreement with the European Commission on the draft political framework represented the right direction for the UK.

She went on: “This is the right deal for the UK. It delivers on the vote of the referendum, it brings back control of our borders, our money and our laws and it does so while protecting jobs, protecting our security and protecting the integrity of the United Kingdom.”