The British prime minister Theresa May has been given a deadline to present fresh proposals to break the deadlock, Britain has until the end of Friday.
EU officials have said they will work over the weekend if “acceptable” ideas are received by the end of Friday, to break the Irish backstop deadlock.
Chancellor Philip Hammond warned that Conservative Brexiteers who reject Theresa May’s deal next week will, ultimately delay the UK’s EU withdrawal.
Hammond said to BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that he refuses to be drawn on how he would vote if May’s deal is defeated.
“If the prime minister’s deal does not get approved on Tuesday then it is likely that the House of Commons will vote to extend the Article 50 procedure, to not leave the European Union without a deal, and where we go thereafter is highly uncertain.
“For those people who are passionate about ensuring that we leave the European Union on time it surely must be something that they need to think very, very carefully about now because they run risk of us moving away from their preferred course of action if we don’t get this deal through.”
Hammond believes MPs will not support a no-deal Brexit but refused to speculate on how we will vote.
Hammond said, “I’m not going to speculate about something that hasn’t happened, and I don’t think will happen because I think the Government is very clear where the will of Parliament is on this.
“Parliament will vote not to leave the European Union without a deal next Wednesday, I have a high degree of confidence about that.”
Nathalie Loiseau, French Europe minister said the EU withdrawal agreement cannot be reopened.
She said, “We cannot reopen this negotiation on the Withdrawal Agreement because it is balanced.
“We don’t like the backstop, we don’t want to have to implement it, and if we have to, we don’t want to stay in the backstop.
“We all agree that it should be temporary, and that it’s a last resort solution.”
