THERESA May has pleaded with her Cabinet colleagues not to resign over Brexit, saying that if they stick together as a government, a good deal with Brussels can be achieved.
The Prime Minister’s appeal to her senior ministers came during a three-hour Cabinet meeting at which she laid out the way forward she would set out to the EU27 leaders before they hold a Brexit dinner in Brussels tomorrow evening.
The weekly meeting of the Cabinet in Downing St followed a meeting the night before of eight Brexit-backing ministers, who, over pizza, discussed the state of play over Brexit and their concerns about Mrs May’s approach.
Ahead of this morning’s Cabinet, ministers were given briefing papers and had the opportunity to have sausage and bacon sandwiches in No 10.
The PM’s spokesman pointed out how it was "not a decision-making Cabinet" but stressed how there was strong support from her colleagues for Mrs May's insistence that any Brexit deal must maintain the integrity of the Union and could not keep the UK indefinitely in a backstop customs arrangement.
No minister indicated that they might be considering resigning over Brexit during the marathon session.
The PM told her colleagues: “I'm convinced that if we as a Government stand together and stand firm, we can achieve this."
But Labour’s Jenny Chapman, the Shadow Brexit Minister, said: “With two days until a crucial EU summit, it is simply extraordinary that the Cabinet can’t agree what its plan for Brexit is.
"If the Cabinet can’t make a decision on Brexit, then what on earth is the point of it? Theresa May is in office, not in power,” she declared.
Earlier, Germany urged Mrs May to "take responsibility" for Brexit ahead of tomorrow’s crunch EU summit with no sign of any breakthrough in the negotiations.
While the sight of eight Cabinet ministers holding a private pre-Cabinet Brexit meeting was a public show of strength, which will do little to dispel suggestions that Brexiteers could be about to pounce to try to oust the PM from Downing Street, two ministers who were at the "pizza summit" played down suggestions of rebellion against their leader.
Penny Mordaunt, the International Development Secretary, told Sky News: "No-one is planning on resigning. We are all doing our jobs and we are trying to get the best deal for this country, and that's it.
"We are approaching the end of negotiations. This is going to be a difficult time, but the whole Cabinet is digging in to get the best deal for this country."
And Commons leader Andrea Leadsom, who hosted the pizza summit, said: "The Prime Minister is doing a very, very complicated job and I'm fully supporting her in getting that done."
Also understood to have attended the meeting in Mrs Leadsom's office were staunch Brexiteers Michael Gove, Chris Grayling, Geoffrey Cox and Mr Raab as well as two ministers who backed Remain in the 2016 referendum, Jeremy Hunt and Liz Truss.
Foreign ministers from the remaining 27 EU states were receiving their own Brexit briefing from Michel Barnier, the EU’s chief negotiator, at the General Affairs Council in Luxembourg.
Arriving for the meeting, Michael Roth, Germany's Europe minister, said his message to Mrs May was: "Take responsibility and be constructive."
The PM is due to address leaders of the EU27 on Wednesday evening in Brussels. She will then leave as they have a private dinner to discuss the next steps on Brexit.
With no likelihood of a deal this week, they are expected to schedule a special Brexit summit for November. It remains unclear whether this will be framed as a final opportunity to reach agreement or as a chance for the 27 to make preparations for a disorderly no-deal withdrawal. Leo Varadkar, the Irish premier, suggested talks might drag on until December.
Didier Reynders, Belgium's Foreign Minister, put the chances of the UK crashing out without a deal at "50/50".
He said: "There is a need for some good compromise that should be made. I understand the British Government has its difficulties but I also believe that the EU is united at 27 and this is in our interest to preserve Union first."
Mr Reynders added: "Even if in this week's debate we are not going to have any kind of deal, there is still time, there is still possibility to get a deal."
Yesterday, Mrs May told MPs an exit agreement was still "achievable" while Donald Tus, the European Council President, urged both sides to keep making every effort to find a deal.
In a letter to EU leaders ahead of the summit, he said the Brexit negotiations had "proven to be more complicated than some may have expected".
But he added: "We should nevertheless remain hopeful and determined, as there is good will to continue these talks on both sides."
The fact that both sides have now begun preparations for a no-deal Brexit "must not, under any circumstances, lead us away from making every effort to reach the best agreement possible", stressed Mr Tusk.
"As someone rightly said: 'It always seems impossible until it's done'. Let us not give up."
Brexiteer Steve Baker, the former Brexit Minister, insisted the Cabinet needed to "change the Prime Minister's mind" on her plans or they would be rejected.
Lord Hague, the former Tory leader, suggested the PM should consider seeking temporary membership of the European Free Trade Association after withdrawal to allow time for a free trade agreement to be negotiated.
There is "no disgrace in doing some fresh thinking", he told the Daily Telegraph. "As an alternative to chaos, it could command wide support."
Angela Merkel, the German Chancellor, said Berlin wanted the UK's withdrawal next March to be orderly "but not at any price".
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