Angry clash over EU warning of 'place in hell' for Brexit leaders puts May’s Brussels rescue bid in fresh trouble

Downing Street hits back after extraordinary attack by Donald Tusk, as prime minister prepares to beg for EU help to rescue her deal

A war of words has further undermined Theresa May’s mission to Brussels to rescue her Brexit deal, after the EU warned of a “special place in hell” for politicians who botched the project.

Downing Street and Tory politicians hit back angrily after the extraordinary attack by Donald Tusk on those who triumphed in the referendum “without even a sketch of a plan how to carry it safely”.

The prime minister’s spokesman urged people to ask whether such language was “helpful” – before noting, sarcastically, that was impossible “because he didn’t take any questions”.

Andrea Leadsom, the Commons leader, condemned the comments by Mr Tusk, the European Council president, as “disgraceful” and “spiteful”, saying such behaviour “demeans him”.

Sammy Wilson, Brexit spokesman of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), which props up the Tories in power, went further – branding him a “devilish, trident-wielding, Euro maniac”.

But pro-EU Tory Anna Soubry backed him and named Boris Johnson, David Davis and Nigel Farage as among his likely targets, for having “abdicated all responsibility”.

The fury overshadowed the tough message for Ms May before she lands in Brussels on Thursday morning – that the EU will never agree to reopening the divorce deal, as she has vowed to do.

The prime minister will again demand either an end date for the Irish backstop or an exit mechanism from it for there to be any hope of the Commons passing the deal.

Ms May appeared to drop her third option – replacing the backstop with ill-defined “alternative arrangements”, based on unproven technology – to the anger of some Brexiteer Tories.

Speaking in Brussels alongside Irish premier Leo Varadkar, Mr Tusk insisted the EU would not be making “any new offer” and called for a “realistic suggestion” from the UK side.

Vowing to stand by the Irish government, he said: “We will not gamble with peace or put a sell-by date on reconciliation. This is why we insist on the backstop.”

Later, Jean-Claude Juncker, the European Commission president, echoed the message in a joint statement with Mr Varadkar, saying: “We cannot accept the idea, which is circulating around, that the withdrawal agreement could be reopened.”

Mr Varadkar ridiculed Ms May’s claim that MPs had shown what needed to be done to pass the deal, arguing: “Alternative arrangements can mean whatever you want them to mean.”

He also pointed to the risk of chlorinated chickens and hormone-pumped beef from the UK if the EU compromised on the backstop, saying: “We wouldn’t want that coming into our markets.”

Privately, No 10 did not disguise its gloom about the chances of a breakthrough that would allow a second “meaningful vote” to take place next week.

The standoff was underlined on a day when:

* Labour called for Brexit to be delayed, by extending Article 50, because the government has run out of time to pass the deal before departure day in just seven weeks.

* The Commons adjourned before 3.30pm – a time “when most people are only coming back from lunch”, said one MP – because there was no other business, despite the Brexit crisis.

* The prime minister was accused of travelling to Northern Ireland “empty-handed with the same old rhetoric, with no plan, no credibility and frankly no honour”, after talks with its political leaders.

* Greg Clark, the business secretary, said exporters needed the deal to be secured in “the next few days”, as he again hinted he would resign if a no-deal Brexit was pursued.

* Mr Varadkar announced he would host Ms May for Brexit talks over dinner in Dublin on Friday night – after she meets both Mr Tusk and Mr Juncker on Thursday.

* Labour MP Lisa Nandy claimed up to 60 Labour MPs would back the Brexit deal if the prime minister conceded on “access to the single market and remaining in a permanent customs union”.

Mr Tusk set off the verbal fireworks when he urged Ms May to “give us a deliverable guarantee for peace in Northern Ireland and the UK will leave the EU as a trusted friend”.

He then added: “By the way, I have been wondering what that special place in hell looks like for those who promoted Brexit without even a sketch of a plan to carry it [out] safely.”

Mr Tusk also revealed he was losing hope that the UK’s decision to leave could be reversed in a fresh referendum.

“The facts are unmistakable,” he said. “Today, there is no political force and no effective leadership for Remain. I say this without satisfaction, but you can’t argue with the facts.”

In response, the prime minister’s spokesman said: “It’s a question for Donald Tusk as to whether he considers the use of that sort of language to be helpful – and I appreciate that was difficult this morning, because he didn’t take any questions.:

He added: “We had a robust and lively referendum campaign in this country in what was the largest democratic exercise in our history.

“People voted to leave the European Union and what everybody should be focused upon now is delivering the verdict of the British people.”