Brexit news: Theresa May meets union leaders to break deadlock as EU urges her to drop red lines

Union leader Frances O'Grady says Theresa May failed to offer brexit guarantees

Theresa May has held talks with trade union bosses at Downing Street as part of desperate efforts to win support for her Brexit plan.

In a highly unusual move, Unite boss Len McCluskey, a close ally of Jeremy Corbyn, visited No 10 for high-level discussions, as well as TUC general secretary Frances O'Grady, Dave Prentis, of Unison, and GMB chief Tim Roache.

The prime minister is scrambling to win political backing for a Brexit plan that could secure a Commons majority after her deal was overwhelmingly rejected by MPs.

And on Thursday, cabinet minister Amber Rudd repeatedly refused to say whether she would resign from her government role to stop a no-deal Brexit, just hours after Airbus issued a stark warning over the impact of a disorderly Brexit on its business in the UK.

During an interview on BBC Two’s Newsnight, Ms Rudd, the work and pensions secretary said she was going to “wait and see” if the prime minister allows a free vote on a series of amendments in the Commons next week.

Asked three times whether she would quit the Cabinet to back a bid by Labour's Yvette Cooper to extend Article 50 unless a deal is reached by the end of February, and she refused to rule it out.

She said: "At this stage I'm going to stick to trying to persuade the Government to allow it to be a free vote. There is a lot taking place and there are a lot of new amendments. We'll have to wait and see."

Ms Rudd also told the programme she is "committed to making sure we avoid no-deal", which she described as "the worst possible outcome”.

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[24 January 2019 17:05 · Ashley Cowburn]

This is from BBC's Newsnight's political producer Liz Rawlings. She says the pro-Remain cabinet minister Amber Rudd has refused to rule out resigning three times, if the government does not allow a free vote on amendments next week in the Commons. 

[24 January 2019 17:42 · Ashley Cowburn]

This is from the Press Association on the DUP

Democratic Unionist deputy leader Nigel Dodds has warned the Irish Premier to "tone down his rhetoric" over Brexit.

Mr Dodds was speaking after Leo Varadkar told the World Economic Forum in Davos that the United Kingdom will find it "very difficult" to agree trade deals after it leaves the European Union if it has not resolved the Irish border issue.

The Taoiseach said if no deal is agreed between the UK and EU, the UK would have to accept full regulatory and customs alignment in Northern Ireland.

Prime Minister Theresa May is currently consulting on a new departure deal with the European Union, after MPs voted down her Withdrawal Agreement.

[24 January 2019 18:41 · Ashley Cowburn]