Theresa May insists she will not accept a Brexit deal that threatens the integrity of the UK… Theresa May has insisted she would not accept any Brexit deal that undermined the integrity of the United Kingdom. The commitment followed warnings from Ruth Davidson and David Mundell that they would be ready to resign if a compromise deal meant a “border in the Irish Sea”. The Scottish Conservative leader and the Scottish Secretary fear a special deal for Northern Ireland would lead to new controls separating it from the UK and boost the SNP’s bid to break-up Britain. However, a spokesman for the Scottish Tories said they were reassured by Mrs May’s statement. She has agreed to keep the whole of the UK temporarily in a customs union with the EU until a broader trade deal is in place to avoid the need for customs checks at the Irish border. – Telegraph (£) > WATCH on BrexitCentral’s YouTube channel: Theresa May updates the House of Commons on Brexit > Read her statement in full on BrexitCentral here …as she tells MPs there will be no deal if the EU doesn’t drop plans to carve off Northern Ireland… Theresa May warned Brussels there won’t be a Brexit deal unless they ditch plans to carve off Northern Ireland from the rest of the UK. Speaking in the Commons, the PM said that Britain and the EU are now “not far apart” on the key question of the Irish border. She vowed to hold firm against Brussels’ bid to impose new customs controls between Northern Ireland and mainland Britain – claiming the plan is illegal. But the PM was accused of seeking a “Hotel California Brexit” after she refused to confirm the date that Britain will quit the European customs union. – The Sun EU insistence on Northern Ireland backstop unacceptable, May tells MPs – Guardian May says Irish backstop can’t derail deadlocked Brexit talks – Reuters …but she says a deal is still achievable… Theresa May called on European leaders today not to “derail” an “achievable” Brexit deal by making unacceptable demands on her government. In a public appeal before a critical EU summit this week the prime minister claimed “real progress had been made” in the talks, with just a few “critical” issues still be resolved. However, she warned that Britain could still not sign up to Europe’s demands to prevent a hard border in Northern Ireland and called for them to compromise to avoid a “no deal outcome that no-one wants”. Mrs May’s remarks came in a Commons statement after Brexit talks in Brussels reached an impasse over the weekend. – The Times (£) Theresa May says Brexit deal still ‘achievable’ despite differences – BBC News Theresa May: UK and EU ‘not far apart’ in Brexit talks – Politico …although she also hints that MPs could block a no-deal Brexit Theresa May has given her strongest indication to date that MPs could be given the chance to block the UK leaving the European Union without a deal. Up until now, the Prime Minister has repeatedly warned that a failure to back her Brexit strategy would result in a disorderly withdrawal from the bloc. But in a major shift in stance, Mrs May indicated that MPs would be able to vote on a no deal scenario, which would almost certainly be opposed by the vast majority of members in the Commons. Asked by Tory MP Heidi Allen what options other than a second referendum would be available if no deal is voted down in the chamber, Mrs May replied: “If it were the case that at the end of the negotiation process actually it was a no deal, then actually that would come back to this House and then we would see what position this House would take in the circumstances.” – i News Eight Cabinet ministers with Brexit concerns attend Andrea Leadsom’s ‘pizza summit’ ahead of Cabinet meeting this morning Eight Cabinet ministers with concerns about Theresa May’s Brexit plans attended a “pizza summit” in the Commons amid mounting pressure on the Prime Minister. Andrea Leadsom, the Leader of the Commons and one of the most significant critics of the Prime Minister’s customs union backstop, hosted the meeting in her Commons office on Monday evening. The scale of the summit and seniority of those who attended is likely to concern Downing Street ahead of a crunch Cabinet meeting on Tuesday. They included Ms Leadsom, Dominic Raab, the Brexit Secretary, Jeremy Hunt, the Foreign Secretary, Michael Gove, the Environment Secretary, Penny Mordaunt, the International Development Secretary, Chris Grayling, the Transport Secretary, Liz Truss, Chief Secretary to the Treasury and Geoffrey Cox, the Attorney General. – Telegraph (£) Andrea Leadsom’s Brexit pizza party broadens its base – The Times (£) Third of the Cabinet meet over pizza to discuss how to stop Theresa May delivering a soft Brexit – The Sun PM meets her Cabinet as the European Council prepares to discuss Brexit – Sky News Theresa May making last-ditch Brexit plea to Europeans… Theresa May will make a last-ditch appeal to EU leaders tomorrow in an attempt to rescue Brexit talks deadlocked over how to avoid a hard border in Ireland. The prime minister admitted in a bruising Commons statement yesterday that Brussels had rejected her proposals for a legally binding UK-wide customs arrangement. The EU, which has stepped up no-deal preparations, continues to insist that the formal divorce deal must include a guarantee that critics say would divide Northern Ireland from Great Britain. Dominic Raab, the Brexit secretary, travelled to Brussels on Sunday to deliver a personal rejection to his opposite number, Michel Barnier, as Mrs May was warned that she faced a full-scale cabinet revolt if she relented. – The Times (£) May and Macron strike dovish tone before big Brexit summit – Bloomberg …as the EU gives the UK a 24-hour breathing space… Brussels is giving Britain a day to settle its position on Brexit before deciding how to respond to Prime Minister Theresa May’s dramatic move to “disengage” from talks on an EU exit agreement. The negotiations broke down at the weekend — just days before a set piece summit — when the UK prime minister dispatched Dominic Raab, her Brexit secretary, to Brussels to make clear that she could not sign up to a “backstop” plan to avoid a hard border on the island of Ireland. “We decided to let a day pass to see what happens in London,” added a senior EU diplomat. Mrs May told the House of Commons on Monday that neither Brussels nor London could allow the disagreement to “derail the prospects of a good deal and leave us with a ‘no-deal’ outcome that no one wants”. She insisted she believed a deal was still “achievable” and that the UK and EU were “not far apart”. – FT (£) Theresa May faces frantic 48 hours to save Brexit plan as talks stall – Guardian …with a deal now looking unlikely before December… A Brexit deal now looks unlikely until just before Christmas after Theresa May admitted “weeks” may be needed to break the deadlock in talks with Brussels. The delay was also signalled by Ireland’s prime minister who warned of log-jammed negotiations dragging into December, increasing concern that stalled talks could simply collapse into a “disaster” no-deal situation. In a veiled swipe at Brexiteers, European Council President Donald Tusk said solving the vexed issue of the Irish border had proved “more complicated than some may have expected” and said no deal is now “more likely than ever”. A further sign of slippage came when the EU confirmed it would take a decision this week on whether a special summit once proposed for November to publicly seal a Brexit deal, will be needed given the state of talks. But despite the deadlock, Ms May again came under intense pressure from Conservative Eurosceptics to refuse anything resembling the EU’s proposals, amid signs she is diluting her stance to secure a deal. – Independent …while Donald Tusk warns a no-deal Brexit is ‘more likely than ever before’ A no-deal Brexit is “more likely than ever before”, the president of the European Council has warned, ahead of a make-or-break summit of EU leaders in Brussels. Donald Tusk, who has described this week’s top-level meeting as “the moment of truth”, said Brexit had “proven to be more complicated than some may have expected”. But he said that “that we are preparing for a no-deal scenario must not, under any circumstances, lead us away from making every effort to reach the best agreement possible”. Mr Tusk’s warning, made in a letter to EU leaders formally inviting them to the summit, comes a day after negotiations between the European Commission and UK Government hit a wall over the question of how to prevent a hard border in Northern Ireland. Over dinner on Wednesday night the heads of state or government of the 27 remaining EU member states will decide whether there is any pointing holding a special Brexit summit in November – or whether the horse has already bolted. – Independent Donald Tusk: No-deal Brexit ‘more likely than ever’ – Politico Brussels chiefs warn a No Deal Brexit ‘is more likely than ever’ following fresh deadlock in talks – The Sun Angela Merkel also says a deal is looking ‘more difficult’ Angela Merkel has spoken of growing difficulties in striking a Brexit deal as the European council president, Donald Tusk, warned that a no-deal scenario was “more likely than ever before”, following the latest derailment of talks over the Irish border. “We were actually pretty hopeful that we would manage to seal an exit agreement” but “at the moment, it looks a bit more difficult again”, the German chancellor told the German Foreign Trade Federation after the latest talks, which have largely been held in secret. A breakthrough was still possible, Merkel added, but it would need “quite a bit of finesse and if we aren’t successful this week, we’ll just have to keep negotiating”. – Guardian ‘Sniping’ Tories are told by acting Cabinet Secretary to stop attacking Olly Robbins Conservative Brexiteers are being accused by the head of the civil service of making “shameful attacks” on Theresa May’s chief Brexit adviser. In an unprecedented intervention, Sir Mark Sedwill, the acting cabinet secretary, condemned the attacks on Oliver Robbins and said that they must stop. His comments, in a letter to The Times, come after repeated criticism of Mr Robbins both in public and private from Tory backbenchers who believe that he is attempting to orchestrate a soft Brexit against the will of the country as expressed in the referendum. Sir Mark said that those responsible for the “sniping” should be “ashamed of themselves”. He pointed to the case of another civil servant who reported having been threatened because of comments about Brexit implementation. – The Times (£) Jeremy Corbyn tells Labour MPs to reject ‘false choice’ on Brexit Jeremy Corbyn has told Labour MPs to hold firm to the party’s position on Brexit, calling it a “false choice” that they had to vote for Theresa May’s final agreement or risk a no-deal outcome. Corbyn and the shadow Brexit secretary, Keir Starmer, addressed the private meeting of Labour MPs and peers on Monday night, amid speculation that up to 30 MPs would consider voting for any final Brexit deal brokered by May because of concerns about the backlash from leave-supporting constituencies and the risks of a failure to reach a deal with the EU. Several MPs including John Mann and Caroline Flint expressed concern about the prospect of Labour voting down a deal, but Corbyn and Starmer said it would not be a “straight choice”, sources said. – Guardian Nicola Sturgeon calls for extension of Brexit transition period… Nicola Sturgeon has called for an extension of the proposed 21-month Brexit transition period to give the UK government more time to negotiate a compromise with opposition parties, in order to deliver a “commonsense” future relationship with the EU. “If the last two years have shown us anything, it is surely that more time will inevitably be needed to agree the future relationship, and so being able to extend the transition period will be vital to avoid another cliff-edge scenario,” Scotland’s first minister said. She urged Theresa May to reconsider her decision to withdraw the UK from the customs union and single market after Brexit, insisting staying in would be the “least damaging” option for the UK economy as a whole. – Guardian …and appeals to MPs to seize ‘only chance’ to change Brexit Nicola Sturgeon has appealed to MPs to vote down Theresa May’s Brexit deal, saying it was the “only chance” for Westminster to change course and secure a less damaging exit from the EU. The First Minister said it was still possible for MPs to force the government into a softer Brexit, with just days to go until a crucial EU summit where the UK’s withdrawal agreement must be signed off by European leaders. She hit out at Mrs May’s Brexit strategy, saying an exit from the EU single market would harm the economy, while a vague politics declaration on the future trade relationship between London and Brussels would leave businesses in limbo. “This scenario – a ‘blindfold’ Brexit – is in my view completely unacceptable,” Ms Sturgeon said. – The Scotsman Nicola Sturgeon: Voting for May’s Brexit deal is a dereliction of duty – The Times (£) > WATCH on BrexitCentral’s YouTube channel: Nicola Sturgeon unveils Brexit plan alternative Home Secretary Sajid Javid told to axe ‘disastrous’ post-Brexit immigration plans or risk 7 million British jobs Sajid Javid was last night told to rip up “disastrous” post-Brexit immigration proposals or expose seven million Brits to more competition for a job. Migration Watch said the Home Secretary had to slap an annual cap on immigration or watch numbers coming to the UK “run rapidly out of control”. They said it defied belief an advisory committee had suggested opening the door to migrants from around the world – but lowering the skill threshold necessary to qualify for a work permit. And they warned against scrapping an obligation on businesses to show a British worker is not available before hiring from abroad. – The Sun Brexit deal on Gibraltar is ‘almost complete’ An agreement providing for Gibraltar’s orderly withdrawal from the European Union is “almost complete”, the Gibraltar Government said today. No.6 Convent Place provided the update after an intense round of talks in Brussels last night. “There are a few issues that remain to be ironed out and the overarching principle of the discussions remains that nothing is agreed until everything is agreed,” No.6 Convent Place said in a statement. Speaking today, Spain’s Foreign Minister Josep Borrell also signalled that an agreement on Gibraltar was close. Discussions about Gibraltar were also raised during a questions and answer session in the House of Commons after Prime Minister Theresa May delivered a statement updating MPs on the latest developments in the wider negotiations on the withdrawal agreement. – Gibraltar Chronicle Gibraltar border row with Spain solved – now onto Ireland – Express Peter Foster: A no-deal Brexit is now closer than ever thanks to the EU’s lack of imagination It was a moment that has been about 18 months in gestation, but the decision by Dominic Raab to walk away from the Brexit negotiating table on Sunday night was entirely predictable. What comes next is much less so. For many months now, it has been clear to those that follow the detail that what was technically deliverable in the negotiating rooms of the EU’s Berlaymont headquarters in Brussels was never going to be negotiable politically in London. As the contours of the deal became clear last week, the chorus of opposition from the Democratic Unionists (DUP) and leading Brexiteers in the European Research Group (ERG) only grew louder, reaching a crescendo over the weekend. – Peter Foster for the Telegraph (£) William Hague: Theresa May has moved heaven and earth to reach a Brexit deal, but there’s no shame in trying again When the Cabinet assembles on Tuesday morning, it now seems very unlikely that they can collectively accept any proposed EU withdrawal agreement on the table, and indeed that they would in any case be unwise to do so. Such a situation may well be a cause of intense frustration for the Prime Minister, who has made a heroic effort to bring her party, Parliament and the Brussels leadership to the brink of a workable deal, but if reports of the latest drafts are to be believed, it is not sellable in Britain. – Lord Hague for the Telegraph (£) Nick Timothy: This is your Brexit Boudicca moment, Theresa… it’s time to say: ‘On Your Way, Barnier’ like ‘Up Yours, Delors’ “We need the PM to discover her inner Boudicca,” a friend said as we discussed Brexit recently. I could see where he was going with this. After all, as we remember from school, this ancient British queen rose up against the Roman Empire, winning battles, slaughtering enemies and forcing the Romans to contemplate leaving Britain all together. “But, hang on,” I replied. “Wasn’t Boudicca eventually defeated?” Whatever the details, my friend was right. It is time for Theresa May to call on her deepest reserves of defiance and stand up to the European Union. Brussels has rejected her Brexit proposals, insulted us at the recent Salzburg summit and wants to dismember the United Kingdom by effectively annexing Northern Ireland for itself. Theresa May’s respect towards the EU has been met consistently with contempt for Britain. She has wished Brussels every success, while they wish us nothing but failure and decline. – Nick Timothy for The Sun Rachel Sylvester: May is about to crash-land the Brexit plane It was always going to be the case that the negotiations at Westminster would be tougher for the prime minister than the haggling in Brussels. Although the European Union is striking a hard bargain — as it was bound to do — it is broadly united, consistent and acting rationally to protect its interests. The same cannot be said of the United Kingdom, where ideology is being put before pragmatism and party concerns placed above the national interest. The Brexit talks are on a knife-edge before what was to have been a “moment of truth” summit this week because, for entirely domestic reasons, Theresa May has no room to compromise. – Rachel Sylvester for The Times (£) Liam Halligan: Staying in the Customs Union is not an option With the UK’s Brexit negotiations at boiling point, I’d like to make two observations. Amid the political manoeuvring and rhetorical conflict, the underlying reality of the various options assumed to be available is often lost. My first point is that staying inside the EU’s protectionist customs union indefinitely – the Prime Minister’s latest proposal – has serious economic downsides. As a customs union member, the UK must charge rather high tariffs, at rates set by Brussels, on various exports from outside the EU. – Liam Halligan for the Telegraph (£) Telegraph: The EU needs to start being realistic about the Irish border “We continue to work for a good deal with the European Union for the whole of the UK,” Theresa May told the Commons yesterday. After a febrile weekend that saw talks run into an apparent impasse caused by EU demands over the so-called Northern Ireland “backstop”, the Prime Minister remained in a conciliatory mood. She was right to say the Government could not accept anything that would impair the integrity of the UK by treating Northern Ireland any differently from Great Britain when it comes to future trade. Mrs May sought to allay Brexiteers fears by saying the country would not be kept in a “limbo” customs arrangement and that the “expectation” was this would end by December 2021 at the latest. However, were that to happen, it would effectively add another year to our membership of the EU and the UK would have taken five-and-a-half years from the referendum vote in June 2016 to break free from all the institutions. – Telegraph (£) The Sun says: Theresa May must not surrender to the EU’s unreasonable Brexit demands… rolling over would be a calamity Yet how many MPs at the Brexit debate yesterday broke off from their mass punishment-beating of Theresa May to point out this obvious truth? Corbyn, naturally, had an easy solution: surrender. Stay forever in the customs union, knowing — as even Labour’s dimwit-in-chief surely must — that it is the worst possible deal, far worse than we currently have, and politically unsustainable. Forever dictated to over trade, powerless and banned from engaging with the wider world. Labour now backs betrayal of Leave voters followed by servitude. It’s genius. Other Remainers continued their toddler tantrum about a second vote. Tory Anna Soubry said Brexit simply wasn’t possible. The same people who claim the EU is no threat to our sovereignty also say it’s impossible to leave it. – The Sun editorial Charlie Cooper: Four takeaways from the Brexit crunch that wasn’t Another European Council summit, another Brexit negotiation deadline almost certain to be missed. After an abortive attempt to cross the line on Sunday, the no-deal outcome that global markets dread is “more likely than ever before,” European Council President Donald Tusk said in his invitation letter to this week’s EU leaders’ summit, which had been earmarked as the staging post for a Brexit withdrawal agreement. “As things stand today, it has proven to be more complicated than some may have expected,” Tusk said. Few could disagree. – Charlie Cooper for Politico Juliet Samuel: As a no-deal Brexit looms it’s time for businesses to be prepared – fast It’s what they used to call, in the eurozone crisis, a “non-linear event”. For Britain to leave the EU without a deal suddenly, in an unmanaged fashion, is not in our or the EU’s interests. But it’s looking rather likely. The Government is still trying to pretend the negotiations are going somewhere, but the evidence says otherwise. It ought to be moving no-deal preparations to DEFCON 1, but it’s still faffing. It took months just to publish a recent technical proposal for emergency regulatory powers for the Financial Conduct Authority and even this crucial piece of statutory due diligence could face hurdles getting through Parliament. Businesses can’t afford to wait. It might seem as if there is nothing they can do, but that isn’t strictly correct. Even the smallest micro-company ought to be preparing. The Government should be helping – but if it won’t, businesses need to do it themselves. – Juliet Samuel for the Telegraph (£) Brexit in Brief Why Theresa May rejected draft Brexit deal – Robert Peston for ITV News Civil war that sparked Dominic Raab’s last-ditch mission to kill deal – Sam Coates for The Times (£) How not to negotiate with the EU – John Redwood’s Diary How to manage No Deal? To start with, pledge to reduce tariffs – Henry Newman for ConservativeHome No deal on Brexit may well mean the end of the UK. Here’s why… – William Wallace for the Yorkshire Post BA owner warned it will have no special treatment after Brexit – FT (£) Shock poll sees half of Europeans brand EU irrelevant – Express No deal is ‘most likely’ outcome and could be implemented within weeks – Express Hard Brexit ‘will force European lawyers in London to requalify’ – The Times (£)