MPs may not see Theresa May’s fresh Brexit plans before she asks EU leaders to agree to them, Downing Street admits

One MP predicts 'uproar' if parliament is denied first sight – while a second attacks a 'stitch up behind closed doors'

MPs may not be shown Theresa May’s fresh plans to break the Brexit deadlock before she asks EU leaders to agree to them, Downing Street has admitted.

No 10 refused to guarantee the proposals – further compromises to solve the Irish border issue – would be published before a crucial EU summit next week.

It means Angela Merkel, the German chancellor, and Emmanuel Macron, the French president, and other EU leaders, could give their approval before MPs have even been able to consider them.

One pro-EU MP predicted “uproar” if parliament was denied first sight of the reworked plans, while a second accused the prime minister of a “stitch up behind closed doors”.

The “backstop” proposals are hugely controversial because they would effectively keep Northern Ireland in the single market, if no other solution can be found to avoid a hard border.

New checks would be introduced on goods flowing between Britain and Northern Ireland, an idea already condemned by Brexiteer Tory MPs and the Democratic Unionist party (DUP).

Ms May will also be expected to drop her insistence that her plan to keep the whole of the UK within the EU’s customs territory, if the “backstop” proves necessary, must be temporary.

Such a concession would provoke fury among pro-Brexit Tories if it would prevent the UK signing its own trade deals with third countries.

Extraordinarily, the prime minister’s spokesman could not guarantee that the cabinet would debate and agree “backstop two” before it is put to the EU.

He would not comment on reports that the plans are not on the agenda for Tuesday’s cabinet meeting – yet the meeting on Tuesday next week is likely to be too late.

Gareth Thomas, a Labour MP and supporter of the People’s Vote campaign, said: “Brexit is too important to be stitched up behind closed doors by government ministers without reference to parliament.

“People expect democratic accountability in this process – it’s not good enough to have a botched Brexit imposed on the country. This kind of chronic mismanagement is part of the reason why the negotiations are in such a mess."

And Tom Brake, the Liberal Democrat Brexit spokesman, said: “If the EU see the Irish border backstop before parliament, there will be uproar. Parliament cannot take back control if the PM keeps her hand hidden from MPs.”

At a briefing for journalists, the No 10 spokesman twice refused to say the fresh plan would be made available in the UK before the summit, on 18 October.

“It will be published in due course – I don’t have a date for you,” he replied.

The row over the Irish border proposals is likely to intensify when Arlene Foster, the DUP leader, meets Michel Barnier, the EU negotiator, in Brussels on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, at Westminster, the Brexiteer European Research Group (ERG) will meet to threaten a guerrilla campaign in Westminster against the prime minister’s proposals.

The No 10 spokesman denied the talks were slowing down again, after it appeared plans for Dominic Raab, the Brexit secretary, to go to Brussels had been shelved, saying: “There are technical notices taking place this week – those talks continue.”