Theresa May's deal branded 'unworkable' by senior Tory Eurosceptic as PM faces open dissent in parliament

The prime minister faces questions in the Commons about the political declaration with the EU

Iain Duncan Smith says Brexit deal 'unworkable' without changes to backstop

Theresa May has defended her blueprint for post-Brexit relations with the EU as senior Tories lined up to rubbish her "unworkable" agreement with Brussels.

The prime minister told MPs that a good Brexit deal was "within our grasp" and urged MPs to get behind her over the next 72 hours, when she will return to the Belgian capital for a summit where EU leaders will decide whether to rubberstamp the deal.

Conservative Eurosceptics expressed their dissent during a tense Commons statement, when ex-foreign secretary Boris Johnson described it as "complete nonsense" and Iain Duncan-Smith, former Tory leader, said it was not "at all workable" in its current form.

Former foreign secretary Boris Johnson said: "We should junk forthwith the backstop, upon which the future economic partnership - according to this political declaration - is to be based, and which makes a complete nonsense of Brexit."

Ms May said her deal delivers what Mr Johnson wants, telling him: "The future relationship we have set out in the political declaration ends free movement, ends sending vast sums of money to the European Union every year and ends the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice in the United Kingdom, and it enables us to hold an independent trade policy and to negotiate trade deals around the whole of the world."

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn also dismissed the political agreement as "26 pages of waffle," which heralds the "blindfold Brexit we all feared".

Key Points

• UK and EU agree wording of declaration on future relationship
• Theresa May insists deal is 'right' for UK and 'sets us on course for a brighter future'
• Senior Tories line up to criticise PM's 'unworkable' Brexit agreement
• Brexit transition can be extended until after next election, new changes to PM's deal say
• Matt Hancock admits fresh Brexit referendum possible if May's deal voted down

[22 November 2018 11:18 · Benjamin Kentish]

The Cabinet is currently being briefed by telephone on the political declaration agreed between the UK and EU. 

Brexiteers will be listening closely to determine whether it includes any of the elements they were urging No 10 to secure from the EU.

Downing Street has refused to confirm that Theresa May will update the Commons later today, but we understand a statement is likely at 2.30pm.

[22 November 2018 11:33 · Benjamin Kentish]

Further evidence for a Commons statement by Theresa May this afternoon comes from the news that Jeremy Corbyn has cancelled a planned trip to Wales, where he was due to visit a dairy.

The Labour leader is believed to be on his way back to London to respond to the prime minister's update. He was due to be meeting workers at the First Milk dairy in Haverfordwest in west Wales on Thursday afternoon. 

[22 November 2018 11:48 · Benjamin Kentish]

Theresa May's proposed Brexit deal would not result in "frictionless trade", leaked documents suggests

[22 November 2018 11:58 · Benjamin Kentish]

Reports suggest Theresa May's statement in the Commons will now take place at 3pm, not 2.30pm as previously suggested. We're still waiting for official confirmation that it's happening at all.

[22 November 2018 12:17 · Benjamin Kentish]

Boris Johnson was paid £90,000 by a US asset management firm for a two-hour speech, it has emerged

[22 November 2018 12:45 · Benjamin Kentish]

Theresa May is unexpectedly speaking in Downing Street.

She says she had a "good, detailed" discussion with Jean-Claude Juncker in Brussels last night.

The negotiating teams continued working through the night to agree the political declaration "and as a result the text of that declaration has been agreed between the European Union and the United Kingdom". 

May says she has updated the Cabinet and will deliver a statement in the Commons this afternoon.

She says the EU27 must now decide whether to support the agreement when the European Council meets on Sunday. She  will be lobbying leaders before then and says she is "confident" that the deal will be signed off.

The prime minister will hold further talks with Juncker on Saturday, she adds.

She says a deal that "sets us on course for a brighter future" is "within our grasp" and that she is determined to deliver it. 

[22 November 2018 12:56 · Benjamin Kentish]

Nicola Sturgeon says the political declaration amounts to a "blindfold Brexit"

[22 November 2018 13:04 · Benjamin Kentish]

This is one to keep an eye on: Scottish Conservative MPs are not happy with the wording on fishing in the political declaration.

Ross Thompson says the proposal is "unacceptable"...

[22 November 2018 13:15 · Benjamin Kentish]

Here's our chief political commentator, John Rentoul, on what the political declaration says and what it means.

[22 November 2018 13:18 · Benjamin Kentish]

Prominent Brexiteer Mark Francois has said the political declaration will do little to help Theresa May get her Brexit deal through Parliament. 

He told Radio 4's The World At One:

"This is not binding under any international law. It is 26 pages of political camouflage designed to take people's eye off the withdrawal agreement and try and persuade them to vote it through. It will not work.

"The legally binding element in this is the withdrawal agreement. That is what MPs will vote on in the meaningful vote. This is a fig leaf.

"Even with this, which won't fool anybody, they will never get the withdrawal agreement through the House of Commons."