Downing Street aides were having their Christmas Party as Theresa May battled to seal the Brexit divorce deal last night.
Staff were enjoying their festive celebration with drinks and canapes in No10 as the frantic negotiations took place.
But even though she was engaged in a high-stakes game with counterparts from the DUP, Dublin and Brussels, Mrs May still managed to drop in to thank aides for their hard work over the past year.
At one point Boris Johnson came to be briefed on developments as the premier thrashed out the controversial package.
An image released by Downing Street showed the PM boarding the RAF flight to Brussels with senior aide Richard Jackson (centre). Brexit Secretary David Davis was also on board
Mrs May was working on the deal in Downing Street as No10 staff held their Christmas party. At one point Boris Johnson dropped in to be briefed on developments, according to this picture posted by chief whip Julian Smith
Government sources were quietly confident that progress was being made during the day yesterday, but the first real sign of a breakthrough came at around 5pm as Donald Tusk announced he was planning to make a statement on Brexit early today.
Burned by the humiliating collapse of the last deal on Monday, aides to the PM were still eager to play down expectations, declaring: ‘We’re not there yet.’
At around 7pm, Jean-Claude Juncker called Irish premier Leo Varadkar and then Mrs May, with the EU commission president’s spokesman saying for an early morning meeting with the PM was ‘possible’.
As Downing Street staff held their Christmas party in No10 and a children’s party takes place in No11, Mrs May kept working.
At around 9pm she spoke to DUP leader Arlene Foster as the shape of a deal crystalised.
The pair had another conversation at 11pm, during which the Northern Ireland politician is believed to have indicated she was content that the text did not threaten the union.
However, she also warned about a rush to strike a deal and pointed out that some Tories were uncomfortable about accepting alignment to Eu regulations.
The PM’s chief of staff Gavin Barwell, the former MP for Croydon Central, left shortly after 1am to snatch some sleep before the dash to Brussels He tweeted that it had been a ‘long night’. Mrs May is also said to have grabbed a few hours’ rest amid the frenzy.
By 3.30am all the pieces were in place, and Mrs May and and Brexit Secretary David Davis headed to RAF Northolt by car to make the flight in to Brussels in a military VIP plane. Downing Street issued a moody black and white image of the PM boarding.
Theresa May, Brexit Minister David Davis (left) and EU President Jean-Claude Juncker (second right) sealed the details over a working breakfast at the EU Commission in Brussels
The PM and Jean-Claude Juncker were smiling as they shook hands for the cameras
Downing Street confirmed just after 5am that they would be meeting Mr Juncker and EU chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier.
On arrival an hour later, Mrs May received a warm hug from Mr Juncker – a sign of their relief that the deal was finally about to get across the line.
They then settled the final details over a convivial breakfast, while Mr Juncker’s chief aide Martin Selmayr tweeted a photograph of white smoke gushing from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel – the traditional way of alerting the world that a new Pope has been chosen.
Shortly afterwards, Mr Juncker and Mrs May emerged together at a press conference to herald the deal, with the PM declaring it ‘a hard-won agreement in all our interests’.
And the premier was on her way back to Britain immediately, pausing only for a brief handshake with European Council chief Donald Tusk.
‘It was a long night,’ the PM’s spokesman said. ‘The text kept changing until it was in a place where everybody felt it was what we needed to achieve.’