EU chief has 'no grounds for optimism' ahead of crunch meeting with Theresa May
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Your support makes all the difference.Donald Tusk has said there are "no grounds for optimism" in relation to a Brexit deal ahead of a key summit of EU leaders.
The European Council president was speaking as Theresa May prepares to travel to Brussels on Wednesday to convince the EU to back her Brexit plan.
Mr Tusk said the prime minister must put forward "concrete proposals on how to break the impasse", which centres on a disagreement over a customs backstop to preserve an open border Northern Ireland.
Earlier in the day, Ms May attempted to convince her Cabinet to back her Brexit plan, which could see the UK remain in the customs union indefinitely if no other method is found for avoiding a hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.
The prime minister told ministers they must "stand together" but Downing Street said no decision was made on her controversial plan during a three-hour meeting.
Elsewhere, John Bercow reportedly told friends he would step down as House of Commons Speaker next summer. It came as he faced criticism from MPs over allegations of bullying, which he has denied, following the publication of a report into harassment in Parliament.
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Emily Thornberry is facing a backlash after suggesting the importance of Brexit means now is not the time to replace John Bercow as Commons speaker, despite numerous allegations of bullying against him (which he has strongly denied).
Dave Penman, general secretary of the FDA trade union, which represents public sector workers, called the shadow foreign secretary "completely disingenuous" and accused her of putting "party politics before people".
NEW: Theresa May told her Cabinet this morning that they must "stand together" if they are to secure a Brexit deal.
According to her spokesman, the prime minister said:
"I'm convinced that if we as a government stand together and stand firm, we can achieve this."
The spokesman said there was unity in support of Ms May's view that the UK should not be kept in the customs union indefinitely, but that the meeting was "not a decision-making" one.
Michel Barnier, the EU's chief Brexit negotiator, has said he hopes a deal is possible "in the coming weeks".
He said:
"We have done a lot of work in the past weeks and the last few days with the British authorities to achieve a global agreement on the objective of an orderly withdrawal of the UK.
"This withdrawal must be orderly for everyone and in all subjects - including Ireland. We must find a solution to ensure that there is no hard border in any circumstance on the island of Ireland.
"We are not there yet. Several subjects remain open, including Ireland. We need more time to find this global agreement and achieve the decisive progress we need to finalise this negotiation on the orderly withdrawal.
"We will take this time, calmly and seriously, to find this global agreement in the next weeks."
MPs are now hearing an urgent question from Labour MP John Mann on the subject of bullying and harassment in Parliament.
Responding, Andrea Leadsom, leader of the Commons, says everyone has been "shocked and appalled" by the reports of abuse in Parliament.
She says the findings of the Cox Report are "undeniably worrying" and "reflect poorly on the systems in the House of Commons".
She tells victims: "You deserve so much better."
But she says "culture change will not happen overnight".
John Bercow has given his own response to the Cox Report into bullying and harassment in Parliament.
He tells the Commons he is persuaded of the need for "a body that is both entirely independent of and external to Parliament to hear and adjudicate upon all allegations of bullying, harassment and sexual misconduct".
He says "independence and transparency are the best guarantors of a process that will both be fair and command confidence".
A big moment in the Commons as Maria Miller, chair of the women and equalities committee, calls on John Bercow to resign over allegations of bullying. She says:
Other Tory MPs have also criticised John Bercow as the Commons discusss bullying and harassment in Parliament.
James Duddridge reads out a list of allegations contained in the Cox Report and adds: "How can we encourage Mr Speaker to stop this behaviour?"
Anne Main says "the fish rots from the head" and, in a clear swipe at Bercow, says: "No one should be involved in this process that has been potentially linked to being part of the problem in this process."
Former Green Party leader Caroline Lucas hits out at MPs criticising John Bercow, saying it is "not the time for members to indulge in a bit of bullying of their own - there should be independent processes, not innuendos".
Labour's Jess Phillips launches a furious attack on James Duddridge over his earlier criticism of Bercow. She suggests the Tory backbencher is "neither right nor honourable" and has probably not spoken to any victims of bullying or harassment.
Saying she is "totally and utterly maddened", Phillips adds: "Some of us don't actually care who is the offender. It is the victims that we care about, and we will not use it for political gain."
She says "nothing fills the victims with more dread than when people play with their feelings, so don't do it."
She says the leadership of the Commons needs "massive overhaul" but adds: "Nothing I have heard today fills me with any hope that politics will be taken out of this".
Labour's Ben Bradshaw defends John Bercow and accuses Tory MPs of being "motivated by personal animosity towards the current Speaker".
He says:
"At a time when our country faces probably its most serious constitutional and political crisis in a generation, we need a Speaker who is prepared to stand up for backbenchers, stand up for this House against an over-mighty and overbearing executive - particularly one which is threatening to drive through a Brexit that would be completely intolerable to a majority of members of this House."
Andrea Leadsom's reply is scathing. She says Bradshaw is "not taking part in this in the spirit it is intended" and accuses him of casting aspersions on the deputy speakers "who also stand up for backbenchers, stand up for what's right for our country and are perfectly good at taking the chair".
She adds:
"I don't understand why he feels that the future of this great nation relies on one individual person, which is what he seems to be suggesting."
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