Brexit: 'No question' of further negotiations if Theresa May's deal rejected, says Merkel

Merkel welcomes deal but hints this is last chance

There is “no question” of further Brexit negotiations if the deal struck by Theresa May is rejected, Angela Merkel has said.

Speaking in Berlin, the German chancellor welcomed the deal but warned a chaotic exit was still possible as a “worst case” scenario.

“We have a document on the table that Britain and the EU 27 have agreed to, so for me there is no question at the moment whether we negotiate further,” the Chancellor said.

The warning follows EU officials close to talks saying the controversial document, which has been panned on all sides in Westminster, is “the best we can do” given the prime minister’s red lines and the bloc’s own rules.

Ms May has publicly stood by the plan, but the Huffington Post reported on Thursday night that allies of the prime minister are trying to win over Brexiteer rebels in the Conservative party with the offer of further concessions from Brussels if they fall in line.

Speaking at a news conference ostensibly about her government’s digital strategy, Ms Merkel told reporters: “I am very happy that after long negotiations which were not easy, a proposal has been pulled together.

“You have to see the alternatives and then ask: is what we have a basis? So I hope that this can be such a basis.

“The worst case, and most disorderly, is that there is no kind of no deal.”

It comes as Westminster waits with baited breath to see whether the prime minister will be subject to a no-confidence vote over the plan. This would be triggered if 48 Tory MPs write to party authorities requesting one, a number that is thought to be close.

In Brussels, ambassadors of the 27 remaining EU member states are meeting to put the finishing touches to the “future relationship” part of the deal, which unlike the withdrawal agreement could still change.

An account of one meeting on Friday reported by the BBC says EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier paid tribute to Ms May’s conduct in talks, but that he warned the EU should not compromise its principles even if there is a difficult situation in the UK.

He is said to have warned that even though the UK wants to avoid a no-deal, it should not engage in bargaining – echoing a message similar to that stated by the German chancellor in public.

Ambassadors are set to meet again on Sunday ahead of a meeting of EU ministers on Monday, which will make preparations of the planned Brexit summit on the 25 November where the deal will hopefully be finalised.

Leaked diplomatic notes from meetings today and yesterday show member states still have a raft of concerns about the plans. Spain, France, Belgium and other countries are concerned about the ability of the UK to extend the transition period, according to the memos obtained by news website BuzzFeed.

France and other countries are also understood to be worried about giving the UK access to the customs union through the so-called “backstop” without a solid deal granting them access to British fishing waters. Instead, the agreement states that such a deal will be negotiated.

The accounts suggest that the future relationship part of the deal could yet change before it is fully signed off – potentially causing more grief for Ms May.