Brexit news: Theresa May promises parliamentary vote on second referendum in desperate bid to force through exit plan
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DUP Parliamentary Leader Nigel Dodds said the "fundamental flaws" of the withdrawal agreement remain and the focus should be on "getting a better deal".
He said: “We will examine the legislation closely when the bill is finally published but the fundamental flaws of the draft Withdrawal Agreement treaty itself remain unchanged.
"Many of the proposals on the backstop serve as an attempt through domestic law to mitigate a bad deal whereas the focus should be on getting a better deal.
"The only positive vote in the House of Commons on Brexit was the Brady amendment which called for alternative arrangements to the backstop to be implemented in the treaty and other changes to remove the current threats posed by the backstop.
"That still remains the best way forward to a stable majority in the House of Commons which would deliver Brexit and protect the Union. That is what this or a new Prime Minister must address.
"We will have to await the publication of the text of the Bill to see what the proposals actually mean but the fact is that the fatal flaws of the draft treaty remain."
Charlie Elphicke, the Tory MP for Dover and Deal said though he previously supported Theresa May's deal, he could not support her latest offering.
He said: “This is even more of a dog’s breakfast than the last deal, it is not Brexit and I won’t be supporting it.
“The backstop customs union is still at the heart of the deal, preventing us from agreeing trade deals with the fasting growing economies in the world.
“I supported the Prime Minister in March as I thought it was our last chance to leave the EU. That’s no longer the case and I’m afraid that this proposal will reinforce the public’s view that the establishment is hellbent on thwarting the referendum result.”
Anne-Marie Trevelyan, MP for Berwick upon Tweed has also made her displeasure known: “There’s nothing new or bold about this deal," she said.
"It still contains the dreaded backstop, endangering our Union and selling out the people of Northern Ireland.
“And now the government is trying to ram its botched deal through on Labour votes by keeping us in the Customs Union, allowing Brussels to dictate our future trade policy and breaching our Conservative Manifesto.
“I’ll read the deal cover to cover before deciding but I’m very unlikely to vote for this. I look forward to a bright future where we actually deliver the Brexit 17.4 million people voted for.”
Iain Duncan Smith described Theresa May's latest offering as a "bad buffet of non Brexit options".
He said: “I can’t see that we’ve taken back control over anything. The backstop is still there, it’s a customs union in all but name and it puts Brussels firmly in control of our destiny.
“There’s nothing new or bold about this bad buffet of non Brexit options. At a time when people are deserting the main parties this is the PM’s response, to do all she can to defy the result of the referendum. Today the government has moved from take back control to give back control.”
Dominic Raab, former Brexit Secretary, says he won't be supporting Theresa May's new deal.
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