DUP hardliners signal they might BACK a new Brexit deal in boost to Theresa May

The Democratic Unionist Party could be prepared to back a compromise that allows Theresa May to pass a Brexit deal.

The Northern Irish party is said to have told allies that it could back a revised deal in the face of efforts by MPs to delay Britain’s departure and block no-deal.

Arlene Foster’s party, which has 10 MPs at Westminster, is ‘looking for a ladder to climb down’, sources told the Times.  

A concession by the DUP suggests that all but the most radical Brexiteers are prepared to make concessions and ensure that Brexit happens on time. 

Theresa May is due to give MPs a vote on delaying Brexit in a fortnight’s time if her Brexit deal does not pass the Commons by then.

Dominic Raab today became the latest hardline Brexiteer to soften his position in the face of attempts to delay Brexit and avoid a no-deal departure.

The former Brexit secretary suggested it was no longer necessary to reopen the Withdrawal Agreement to deal with the Irish border backstop that has prevented a deal passing through Parliament.    

But much will depend on the contents of the so-called ‘Cox Codecil’ being hammered out by the Attorney General Geoffrey Cox and how many hardliners it will appease.

Arlene Foster’s party, which has 10 MPs at Westminster, is ‘looking for a ladder to climb down’.  Reports suggested that Mrs May could seek to hold a Brexit vote as early as next week, but they were downplayed by Downing Street

Former Brexit secretary Dominic Raab became the latest hardline Brexiteer to show signs of softening his position on how a deal could be changed to allow MPs to back it

How it stands in Westminster as Mrs May battles to deliver a Brexit deal. There are signs that all but a hardcore of Tory hardliners are starting to move towards being able to support a new deal. But Mrs May still faces a struggle to get it through the Commons.

How it stands in Westminster as Mrs May battles to deliver a Brexit deal. There are signs that all but a hardcore of Tory hardliners are starting to move towards being able to support a new deal. But Mrs May still faces a struggle to get it through the Commons.

The move has created a rift in the more hardline Brexiteers. many are softening their stance, leaving a hard core of refuseniks.

Earlier this week Jacob Rees-Mogg dramatically jettisoned his demand for the Irish backstop to be scrapped completely. 

What is the ‘Cox Codicil’?  

What is a ‘codicil’? 

A legal term for an extra document attached to a treaty – a bit like an appendix.

What does this one try to do? 

It won’t be clear unless and until it is published, but reports suggest Attorney General Geoffrey Cox is negotiating a codicil on how the backstop works.

The obvious intention will be to make clear the backstop can only be temporary. 

Will it work? 

Unclear. The EU already says the backstop is supposed to be temporary and that language already in the divorce treaty says so.

Cox’s legal advice on the original deal was despite this language, if there is no future UK-EU trade deal there was nothing to stop the backstop lasting forever. 

The intention appears to be negotiating something that allows Cox to change his legal advice.

The leader of the Tory hard Brexit-supporting European Research Group [ERG] hinted he could back the PM’s deal if it is tweaked rather than re-written. 

Mr Rees-Mogg, who had demanded the EU re-opened the Withdrawal Agreement and axed the backstop, now says he would back Mrs May if there was a time limit on the backstop in a document of ‘equal legal standing’.  

In a major softening of the ERG’s stance he said: ‘If it were to be an appendix that would be satisfactory. But it has to be of equal legal standing’. 

Mr Raab told BBC Radio 4’s Today he wanted substantial changes to the Withdrawal Agreement, though he said the ‘technical device’ for making the changes to the backstop was ‘second order’.

 He said: ‘The substance rather than the vehicle and means is what matters. We need to see substantial legally binding changes.

‘We’re not being dogmatic on this.’ 

He also suggested that a delay to Brexit would reduce the chance of securing a deal with the EU.

‘The issue with delay is at this point in time it weakens our leverage – why would the EU make concessions now? The chances of a deal get that bit slimmer because they are less likely to compromise,’ he told Today.

‘I’m strongly against any delay, and I think from the EU’s point of view it signals to them that actually their intransigence pays off and that’s the wrong message for the UK to be sending to Brussels at this moment.’

It came as Mrs May was warned that moderate Tories would block any attempt to leave the EU without a Brexit deal.

Simon Hart, the co-leader of the Brexit Delivery Group of more than 50 MPs, said its members would ‘struggle’ if the Prime Minister were to say ‘to hell with all of this, we are going to leave with no deal on March 29’.

The Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire warned she would face a ‘significant rebellion’ including ministerial resignations if she whipped MPs to support no-deal Brexit, in an interview with Politico.

But he added that there was a ‘pretty good chance’ Mrs May would get a deal through the Commons before Brexit day at the end of the month.

Simon hart said that 'MPs are beginning to realize that you can hold out so long for whatever your view on what a perfect Brexit looks like' and were more likely to seek a compromise deal

Simon hart said that ‘MPs are beginning to realize that you can hold out so long for whatever your view on what a perfect Brexit looks like’ and were more likely to seek a compromise deal

He told the website: ‘MPs are beginning to realize that you can hold out so long for whatever your view on what a perfect Brexit looks like, but actually if it is going to sacrifice everything in the process, it is probably better to try and find something upon which you can agree,’

It came amid reports that Mrs May will attempt a vote on her Brexit deal as early as next week. If it failed again, this would still allow the Pm more time to hold another before her self-imposed deadline of March 12.

If no deal has been agreed by then she will allow MPs to vote on a no-deal Brexit and a delay to Brexit itself.

However, Downing Street is understood to have played down the chance of this happening.

It came as dozens of Brexiteer Tory MPs were said to be planning to back Mrs May’s Brexit deal if she sets a timetable for when she will quit as Prime Minister.

A number of Brexiteer MPs are now prepared to vote for the deal, even if Mrs May isn’t able to secure any significant changes.

Mrs May faces a new Commons vote to approve her revised Brexit deal on March 12.

One senior MP told The Sun: ‘We need her to lay out a timetable for her departure this year.’

What is the Irish border backstop and why do Tory MPs hate it? 

The so-called Irish border backstop is one of the most controversial parts of the PM’s Brexit deal. This is what it means: 

What is the backstop? 

The backstop was invented to meet promises to keep open the border between Ireland and Northern Ireland even if there is no comprehensive UK-EU trade deal.

The divorce deal says it will kick in automatically at the end of the Brexit transition if that deal is not in place.

If effectively keeps the UK in a customs union with the EU and Northern Ireland in both the customs union and single market.

This means many EU laws will keep being imposed on the UK and there can be no new trade deals. It also means regulatory checks on some goods crossing the Irish Sea. 

Why have Ireland and the EU demanded it? 

Because Britain demanded to leave the EU customs union and single market, the EU said it needed guarantees people and goods circulating inside met EU rules.

This is covered by the Brexit transition, which effectively maintains current rules, and can in theory be done in the comprehensive EU-UK trade deal.

But the EU said there had to be a backstop to cover what happens in any gap between transition and final deal.  

Why do critics hate it? 

Because Britain cannot decide when to leave the backstop. 

Getting out – even if there is a trade deal – can only happen if both sides agree people and goods can freely cross the border.

Brexiteers fear the EU will unreasonably demand the backstop continues so EU law continues to apply in Northern Ireland.  

Northern Ireland MPs also hate the regulatory border in the Irish Sea, insisting it unreasonably carves up the United Kingdom. 

What concessions did Britain get in negotiating it? 

During the negotiations, Britain persuaded Brussels the backstop should apply to the whole UK and not just Northern Ireland. Importantly, this prevents a customs border down the Irish Sea – even if some goods still need to be checked.

The Government said this means Britain gets many of the benefits of EU membership after transition without all of the commitments – meaning Brussels will be eager to end the backstop. 

It also got promises the EU will act in ‘good faith’ during the future trade talks and use its ‘best endeavours’ to finalise a deal – promises it says can be enforced in court.

What did the legal advice say about it? 

Attorney General Geoffrey Cox said even with the EU promises, if a trade deal cannot be reached the backstop could last forever.

This would leave Britain stuck in a Brexit limbo, living under EU rules it had no say in writing and no way to unilaterally end it.

Read more at DailyMail.co.uk