Brexit: Theresa May should delay Commons vote on EU deal for second time, David Davis says

'The more we prepare to leave the EU without a deal, the more likely a good deal becomes,' says ex-Brexit secretary

Theresa May has been urged to suspend a crunch Commons vote on her Brexit deal for the second time in the hope that Brussels offers fresh concessions that can win over MPs.

Ex-Brexit secretary David Davis claimed an agreement would be reached "at the eleventh hour" because the EU is worried about losing the £39bn divorce bill promised under the terms of Ms May's deal.

The Brexiteer Tory MP said "time is our friend" as exit day approaches in March, arguing that "the more we prepare to leave the EU without a deal, the more likely a good deal becomes".

MPs are due to return to Westminster next week ahead of a showdown vote on the prime minister's Brexit deal, which is scheduled to occure in the week of January 14.

Ms May was forced to pull the vote in December in the face of near-certain defeat, triggering an unsuccessful no-confidence motion at the hand of her backbenchers.

She is expected to launch a fresh round of diplomacy this week, reaching out to EU leaders including German chancellor Angela Merkel, Dutch prime minister Mark Rutte and European Council president Donald Tusk to secure assurances over the Irish backstop to win over her sceptical MPs.

Officials have been holding talks with their counterparts in Brussels over the Christmas period, a Downing Street source said.

Mr Davis, writing in The Telegraph, said: "The withdrawal agreement does not respect the referendum result. That is why the meaningful vote had to be delayed and one wonders if even the January vote will go ahead.

"Attempts to frighten MPs into supporting it are unlikely to work, because voting down this substandard deal will not result in no Brexit."

Urging Ms May to take her time to get a better deal, he adds: "We know that the EU is worried about the loss of the £39bn 'divorce' payment if there is no deal... so this is the moment to be hard-nosed about these issues.

"The more we prepare to leave the EU without a deal, the more likely a good deal becomes.

"Tory MPs must remain committed to delivering the referendum result, as repeated in our manifesto, which pledged to leave the customs union and the single market and which said that no deal is better than a bad deal.

"To do otherwise would frankly throw our democracy's credibility into chaos."

Ms May is facing an uphill battle to get her deal through the Commons in a fortnight's time amid opposition from both Brexit factions in the Conservative party and continued resistance from her Democratic Unionist Party allies.

DUP Westminster leader Nigel Dodds was in London on Wednesday, where he reportedly held talks at Downing Street, while Tory whips are said to have made concerted efforts over Christmas to win over wavering MPs.

German foreign office minister Niels Annen signalled that the EU was unlikely to offer further concessions to Ms May, saying there was already a "very fair offer" on the table.

He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "The prime minister knows pretty well that of course Germany has a part in the political situation but the negotiation partner is the European Union.

"We believe that there is a very fair offer on the table and I think what's very important for our conversation is whether Brexit will happen or not is not our decision to be made.

"We respect whatever the British people will decide but I believe that we can already see the cooperation between UK and Germany in international affairs is very close, it's very constructive."