Theresa May pushes on with Brexit agenda after tough EU summit

Theresa May is set for another tough political week as she battles to keep her Brexit plans on track after a bruising EU summit in Brussels.

Ahead of an expected statement to MPs on Monday, the British Prime Minister is assessing her EU withdrawal agenda in light of a tense showdown with European leaders.

The Times reported that a number of Cabinet ministers now consider the Withdrawal Agreement to be dead in the water, and are reluctantly considering the prospect of a new referendum to settle the question.

Nigel Farage said he believes the UK may face a second referendum in the coming months and urged Brexit campaigners to “get ready for every situation”.

My message, folks, tonight is, as much as I don’t want a second referendum, it would be wrong of us on a Leave Means Leave platform not to get ready, not to be prepared for a worst case scenario

Speaking at the Leave Means Leave rally on Friday, the former Ukip leader said: “My message, folks, tonight is, as much as I don’t want a second referendum, it would be wrong of us on a Leave Means Leave platform not to get ready, not to be prepared for a worst case scenario.”

Senior Tories such as former chancellor Ken Clarke urged Mrs May to reach out to Labour MPs to try to find common ground to move forward.

It was also reported that Mrs May told EU senior figures she might as well put her Brexit deal before MPs next week if no further reassurances on the controversial Irish border backstop measures would be coming from Brussels.

The British PM cancelled a Commons vote on her Brexit deal scheduled for last Tuesday after she admitted it faced a “significant” defeat.

The Financial Times quoted a close aide to the PM saying: “At the point where there is no prospect of getting anything more from the EU, that’s when you would have to put the vote.”

However, Government sources made it clear to the Press Association that there was unlikely to be a Commons vote on the Withdrawal Agreement next week.