Theresa May insisted her Brexit deal was not dead today after Dominic Raab and Esther McVey dramatically quit saying Britain was being 'blackmailed'.
The Prime Minister vowed to push on with her controversial plan after the Brexit Secretary threw her into chaos by dropping the bombshell news.
Ms McVey followed suit within minutes, accusing Mrs May of failing to 'honour the result of the referendum' following a bitter five-hour Cabinet debate last night. Other junior ministers have also quit as the situation threatens to spiral out of control.
The premier was angrily berated by DUP Westminster leader Nigel Dodds in a tense Commons exchange this morning, accusing her of failing to 'listen' and allowing the 'break up of the United Kingdom'.
A stung Mrs May insisted she was personally committed to keeping the ties between Northern Ireland and Great Britain.
Jacob Rees-Mogg turned up the heat further by demanding to know why he should not write to the powerful Tory 1922 committee urging a no-confidence vote.
As Eurosceptics and Remainer MPs lined up to condemn her plans, the PM defiantly pledged she would carry on in the 'national interest', despite admitting the compromises involved were not 'comfortable'.
'I will bring it to Parliament and ask MPs to consider it in the national interest,' she said.
'The choice is clear. We can choose to leave with no deal. We can have no Brexit at all. Or we can choose to unite and support the best deal that can be negotiated.'
'I choose to deliver for the British people. I choose to do what is in the national interest.'
Fears are rising that the slew of resignations could pose a fatal threat to Mrs May's leadership.
The Pound dropped sharply on the news as markets saw the chances of a Brexit agreement receding.
A defiant Mrs May told MPs today that she would carry on in the 'national interest', despite admitting the compromises involved were not 'comfortable'
Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab dropped the bombshell news on the morning after the PM forced the terms of her proposed plan through Cabinet in a stormy five-hour meeting
Work and Pensions Secretary Esther McVey refused to answer questions about whether she is going to resign as she left her London home today (pictured) - but within an hour she had gone
Mrs May faced an agonising barrage from Eurosceptics today as questions mounted about whether she can hold her Brexit deal together
Mr Raab revealed his resignation on Twitter today (left) saying he could not 'in good conscience' support the Brexit deal. It came less than two hours after Shailesh Vara quit as Northern Ireland minister (right)
Mr Raab was understood to have endorsed the draft deal 'with a heavy heart' at the meeting yesterday, but harboured deep concerns about the UK being locked into the Irish border 'backstop'.
Mr Raab, who only succeeded David Davis in the post in July, said he had 'enduring respect' for Mrs May but added: 'Today, I have resigned as Brexit Secretary. I cannot in good conscience support the terms proposed for our deal with the EU.'
Ms McVey said in her letter: ‘The deal you put before the Cabinet yesterday does not honour the result of the referendum.
'Indeed it doesn’t meet the tests you set from the outset of your premiership.’
The resignations came in quick succession after Northern Ireland minister Shailesh Vara announced his departure, this morning claiming Mrs May is trying to 'shackle' Britain to the EU 'indefinitely'.
Brexit minister Suella Braverman has quit, as has ministerial aide Anne-Marie Trevelyan - a strong supporter of Boris Johnson.
Aid Secretary Penny Mordaunt is also believed to be on the edge. She was in the Commons chamber this morning answering questions on her brief.
Fevered speculation erupted after Michael Gove cancelled a visit in Yorkshire, although aides insisted it was for personal reasons. They did not respond to questions about whether he was quitting.
Meanwhile, Tory Eurosceptics are vowing to spark a no-confidence vote against the PM over her 'nightmare' proposals - while the DUP has suggested it will stop propping up the government.
Remainer Tory MP Anna Soubry said Mr Raab's resignation 'marks the end of PMs Withdrawal Agreement' and called for a 'government of national unity'.
The mounting crisis is on the verge of torpedoing the entire package painstakingly thrashed out with Brussels over two years - and throwing Mrs May herself out of power.
EU council leader Donald Tusk nodded to the problems this morning as he said a summit to sign off the deal will happen on November 25 'if nothing extraordinary happens'.
In his resignation letter, Mr Raab said: ‘I regret to say that, following the Cabinet meeting yesterday on the Brexit deal, I must resign.
‘I understand why you have chosen to pursue the deal with the EU on the terms proposed, and I respect the different views held in good faith by all of our colleagues.
‘For my part, I cannot support the proposed deal for two reasons. First, I believe that the regulatory regime proposed for Northern Ireland presents a very real threat to the integrity of the United Kingdom.
‘Second, I cannot support an indefinite backstop arrangement, where the EU holds a veto over our ability to exit.
‘The terms of the backstop amount to a hybrid of the EU Customs Union and Single Market obligations.
Brexit minister Suella Braverman (right) has quit, as has ministerial aide Anne-Marie Trevelyan (left) - a strong supporter of Boris Johnson
‘No democratic nation has ever signed up to be bound by such an extensive regime, imposed externally without any democratic control over the laws to be applied, nor the ability to decide to exit the arrangement.
‘That arrangement is no also taken as the starting point for negotiating the Future Economic partnership.
‘If we accept that, it will severely prejudice the second phase of negotiations against the UK.’
Mr Vara said the draft agreement 'leaves the UK in a halfway house with no time limit on when we will finally be a sovereign nation'.
In an eviscerating resignation letter he added: 'We are a proud nation and it is a sad day when we are reduced to obeying rules made by other countries who have shown that they do not have our best interests at heart. We must and can do better than this'.
The major blow came as the Prime Minister must try to convince her mutinous MPs and divided cabinet to back her Brexit vision during the biggest Commons speech of her life later.
Mrs May has acknowledged she has 'difficult days' ahead with Brexiteers in her party openly plotting to topple her - but standing firm last night she told the rebels it will be her deal or 'no Brexit at all' and warned: 'It is this or Jeremy Corbyn'.
Critics including Jacob Rees-Mogg claim she has 'shattered their trust' by claiming her Brexit deal is 'the best that could be negotiated'.
The senior backbencher said last night that he is 'closer than ever' to sending a letter of no-confidence to the 1922 Committee chairman.
Senior Tories have voiced alarm that Mrs May is opening a door to Jeremy Corbyn becoming PM by sacrificing the support of the DUP in a bid to push through her ‘nightmare’ Brexit deal.
'We cannot survive without the DUP,’ one senior MP told MailOnline. ‘And this deal cannot get through unless sufficient Labour MPs vote for it.
‘Corbyn smells defeat and I’m sure he will not throw her a lifeline.’
Mr Corbyn seized on the PM's weakness in the Commons today, Mr Corbyn confirmed that Labour MPs will be whipped to vote against the package.
The commitment further reduces the chances of Mrs May being able to get it through in a critical Commons showdown expected in the middle of next month - if the deal survives that long.
Meanwhile in Brussels Mr Tusk revealed the EU's 27 leaders would rush to ratify the deal in ten days time - but there are still major doubts it will survive that long.
Speaking this morning he confirmed an emergency summit will take place on Sunday November 25 and said: 'Let me say to our British friends: as much as I am sad to see you leave, I will do everything to make this farewell the least painful possible, both for you and for us'.
Last night the PM emerged from a marathon Cabinet meeting to claim a decisive breakthrough and said her cabinet came to a collective decision to back the settlement with Brussels having apparently told them it was 'this or Jeremy Corbyn'
But at least 10 ministers in the bruising five-hour meeting spoke out against parts of her deal.
The cabinet meeting is said to have exploded when Ms McVey called for a formal ministerial vote during the tempestuous debate over the draft agreement before Mrs May rebuffed her.
Others who declared themselves against the plans included International Trade Minister Liam Fox, Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson and Home Secretary Sajid Javid.
After the Cabinet battle, which went on three hours longer than scheduled, the premier took to the steps of Downing Street admitting that the debate had been 'long and impassioned' and there were 'difficult days ahead'.
'The collective decision of Cabinet was that the government should agree the draft Withdrawal Agreement and the outline political declaration,' Mrs May said. 'I firmly believe with my head and heart that this decisive choice is in the best interests of the entire UK.'
Mrs May's reference to a 'collective' decision rather than a unanimous one immediately raised eyebrows. Around 10 ministers - nearly a third of the total - are understood to have spoken out against parts of the package, amid reports that a no confidence vote against the PM could be triggered as early as today.
Ms Mordaunt, who was thought to be among those closest to quitting, demanded assurances from the premier on key points. Defence Secretary Gavin Willliamson also expressed reservations about elements of the deal, as did Sajid Javid, Liam Fox, Jeremy Hunt and Andrea Leadsom.
But one Cabinet source told MailOnline that Ms McVey was an 'outlier' in the strength of her opposition, and appeared 'emotional'.
Scottish Secretary David Mundell had emerged as a potential risk after he signed a letter warning against giving away fishing rights as part of the agreement, but tonight confirmed that he was staying in the tent.
There are growing signs that Mrs May could face an imminent no confidence vote. The Eurosceptic ERG group - which claims to have up to 80 Tory MP members - has shifted its position after previously holding off sending letters to the 1922 committee chairman Graham Brady.
An ex-minister told MailOnline: 'I think a few people are holding off, will read the deal, square off their associations this weekend, then put in a letter.'
Meanwhile, DUP leader Arlene Foster has turned up the heat by warning Mrs May there will be 'consequences' if she pushes her plan through.
Ms McVey (left) and Mr Raab (right) announced their resignations in quick succession - raising the threat of more to follow
Theresa May is fighting to save her Brexit deal and her role as Tory leader today as Northern Ireland minister Shailesh Vara quit over her proposed 'half in, half out' divorce from Brussels
After nearly five hours of behind-closed doors discussions, the PM declared that she will press ahead with her controversial plan
Aid Secretary Penny Mordaunt was summoned to Downing Street for pre-Cabinet talks this morning, amid rumours she is considering quitting. And she was one of the first to arrive for the Cabinet meeting this afternoon
DUP leader Arlene Foster - whose 10 MPs are propping Mrs May up in power - warned there would be 'consequences' if Mrs May pushes her deal through
Environment Secretary Michael Gove (left) is said to be 'tense', while Commons Leader Andrea Leadsom has deep misgivings about some of the compromises in negotiations with Brussels
Mrs May delivered an impassioned defence of the package at PMQs earlier, insisting it was a 'significant' step forward in taking the UK out of the EU.
But she was warned she is making a 'shambolic mess' of the talks by Jeremy Corbyn - and her own MPs said she was 'not delivering the Brexit people voted for'.
The trouble was brewing as Boris Johnson vented fury over a leaked note claiming the deal means the UK will have to 'swallow' EU rules for good.
The former foreign secretary urged ministers to 'live up to their responsibilities' by blocking the agreement from going forward.
Mr Johnson jibed that the mooted package rules out a looser Canada-style relationship with the EU.
'This means super-Canada impossible. Cabinet must live up to its responsibilities & stop this deal,' he tweeted.
Work and Pensions Secretary Esther McVey is also considered at high risk of quitting, but the intention of others is unclear. Cabinet sources told MailOnline that things were still 'up in the air'.
Speaking at PMQs yesterday, Mrs May said her package 'brings us significantly closer to delivering on what the British people voted for in the referendum'.
'We will take back control of our laws, borders and our money. We will leave the Commons Fisheries Policy and the Common Agricultural Policy while protecting jobs, security and the integrity of our United Kingdom,' she said.
'I will come back to the House to update it on the outcome.'
But Tory Brexiteer Peter Bone confronted the premier with his concerns, saying: 'If media reports about the EU agreement are in any way accurate, you are not delivering on the Brexit people voted for and today you will lose the support of many Conservative MPs and millions of voters around the country.'
Mrs May insisted she was delivering on the referendum – pointing to curbs on free movement - and added: 'This is a deal that delivers on that vote but in doing so protect jobs, protects the integrity of the United Kingdom and protects the security of people in this country.'
Downing Street claims it has headed off plans that could have led to Northern Ireland being 'annexed' by the EU after Brexit and insists it has laid the groundwork for a 'good deal'.
How WILL Theresa May get the votes to pass her Brexit Deal through Parliament? The PM could need the support of more than FIFTY hardcore Brexiteers from her own party plus Labour rebels
Theresa May has secured her deal in Brussels but her fight to get it actually in place in time for Brexit day is just beginning.
If the Cabinet agrees to the deal the biggest hurdle will be the 'meaningful vote' on the plans in Parliament.
This is expected to take place in December to ensure the deal is over its biggest hurdle before the end of the year.
The Prime Minister needs at least 318 votes in the Commons if all 650 MPs turns up - but can probably only be confident of around 230 votes.
The number is less than half because the four Speakers, 7 Sinn Fein MPs and four tellers will not take part.
To win, Mrs May will need to get back around half of the 80 hardcore Tory Brexiteer rebels and secure the support of the 10 DUP MPs.
Even then she will probably still need the help of dozens of Labour MPs to save her deal and possibly her job.
Theresa May will need 318 votes in the Commons if every single MP turns up. She can only rely on about 230 votes - meaning she will need to get back around half of the 80 hardcore Tory Brexiteer rebels and secure the support of the 10 DUP MPs, plus dozens of Labour MPs
This is how the House of Commons might break down:
The Government
Who are they: All members of the Government are the so-called 'payroll' vote and are obliged to follow the whips orders or resign. It includes the Cabinet, all junior ministers, the whips and unpaid parliamentary aides.
How many of them are there? About 150.
What do they want? For the Prime Minister to survive, get her deal and reach exit day with the minimum of fuss.
Many junior ministers want promotion while many of the Cabinet want to be in a position to take the top job when Mrs May goes.
How will they vote? With the Prime Minister.
Brexiteers in the European Research Group (ERG)
Who are they? Led by Jacob Rees-Mogg, the ERG counts Boris Johnson, David Davis and other former ministers including Steve Baker and Iain Duncan Smith.
How many of them are there? Estimates vary on how many members it has. It secured 62 signatures on a letter to the PM in February while Mr Baker has claimed the group has a bloc of 80 Tory MPs willing to vote against May's plans.
The group's deputy leader Mark Francois said today there were at least 40 hard liners who would vote against the deal in all circumstances.
What do they want? The ERG has said Mrs May should abandon her plans for a unique trade deal and instead negotiate a 'Canada plus plus plus' deal.
This is based on a trade deal signed between the EU and Canada in August 2014 that eliminated 98 per cent of tariffs and taxes charged on goods shipped across the Atlantic.
The EU has long said it would be happy to do a deal based on Canada - but warn it would only work for Great Britain and not Northern Ireland.
The ERG say the model can be adapted to work for the whole UK. They say Northern Ireland can be included by using technology on the Irish border to track goods and make sure products which don't meet EU rules do not enter the single market.
They also say it would give complete freedom for Britain to sign new trade deals around the world to replace any losses in trade with the EU.
The group is content to leave the EU without a deal if Brussels will not give in.
How will they vote: Against the Prime Minister.
Moderates in the Brexit Delivery Group (BDG) and other Loyalists
Who are they? A newer group, the BDG counts members from across the Brexit divide inside the Tory Party. It includes former minister Nick Boles and MPs including Remainer Simon Hart and Brexiteer Andrew Percy.
There are also many unaligned Tory MPs who are desperate to talk about anything else.
How many of them are there? There are thought to be around 50 members in the BDG, with a few dozen other MPs loyal to the Prime Minister
What do they want? The BDG prioritises delivering on Brexit and getting to exit day on March 29, 2019, without destroying the Tory Party or the Government. If the PM gets a deal the group will probably vote for it.
It is less interested in the exact form of the deal but many in it have said Mrs May's Chequers plan will not work.
Mr Boles has set out a proposal for Britain to stay in the European Economic Area (EEA) until a free trade deal be negotiated - effectively to leave the EU but stay in close orbit as a member of the single market.
How will they vote? With the Prime Minister.
Unrepentant Remainers in the People's Vote
Who are they? A handful of about five Tory MPs - mostly former ministers - who never supported Brexit and think the failure of politicians to get a deal means Parliament should hand it back to the people. The group includes Anna Soubry, Dominic Grieve and Justine Greening.
What do they want instead? A so-called People's Vote. The exact timing still needs to be sorted out but broadly, the group wants the Article 50 process postponed and a second referendum scheduled.
This would take about six months from start to finish and they group wants Remain as an option on the ballot paper, probably with Mrs May's deal as the alternative.
There are established pro-Remain campaigns born out of the losing Britain Stronger in Europe campaign from 2016. It is supported by Tony Blair, the Liberal Democrats and assorted pro-EU politicians outside the Tory party.
How will they vote? Hard to say for sure. Probably with the Prime Minister if the only other option was no deal.
The DUP
Who are they? The Northern Ireland Party signed up to a 'confidence and supply' agreement with the Conservative Party to prop up the Government.
They are Unionist and say Brexit is good but must not carve Northern Ireland out of the Union.
How many of them are there? 10.
What do they want? A Brexit deal that protects Northern Ireland inside the UK.
How will they vote? Against the Prime Minister if the deal breaches the red line, with the Prime Minister if she can persuade them it does not. The group currently says No.
Labour Loyalists
Who are they? Labour MPs who are loyal to Jeremy Corbyn and willing to follow his whipping orders.
How many of them are there? Between 210 and 240 MPs depending on exactly what Mr Corbyn orders them to do.
What do they want? Labour policy is to demand a general election and if the Government refuses, 'all options are on the table', including a second referendum.
Labour insists it wants a 'jobs first Brexit' that includes a permanent customs union with the EU. It says it is ready to restart negotiations with the EU with a short extension to the Article 50 process.
The party has six tests Mrs May's deal must pass to get Labour votes.
How will they vote? Against the Prime Minister's current deal.
Labour Rebels
Who are they? A mix of MPs totally opposed to Mr Corbyn's leadership, some Labour Leave supporters who want a deal and some MPs who think any deal will do at this point.
How many of them are there? Up to 45 but possibly no more than 20 MPs.
What do they want? An orderly Brexit and to spite Mr Corbyn.
How will they vote? With the Prime Minister.
Other Opposition parties
Who are they? The SNP, Liberal Democrats, Plaid Cymru, Green Caroline Lucas and assorted independents.
How many of them are there? About 60 MPs.
How will they vote? Mostly against the Prime Minister - though two of the independents are suspended Tories and two are Brexiteer former Labour MPs.
Northern Ireland Secretary Karen Bradley (left) is a close ally of the PM, while Dominic Raab (right) is expected to hang on despite serious doubts
Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt's endorsement will be critical if Mrs May is to get her proposals past Cabinet
Attorney General Geoffrey Cox, an eminent QC and staunch Brexiteer, has emerged as a key figure in wrangling over the Irish border 'backstop'. Treasury minister Liz Truss (right) is also among those joining the session
Flanked by senior ministers at PMQs in the Commons earlier today, Mrs May tried to put a brave face on her Brexit woes
Boris Johnson (right) arrived at Parliament today on his bike as he led criticism of the Brexit blueprint thrashed out by the government
Boris Johnson highlighted the remarks by Ms Weyand as he urged ministers to 'stop this deal' (left). The DUP's Sammy Wilson said his party would 'not be voting for this humiliation'
Ominously, she stressed that the party's confidence and supply deal was with the Tories rather than Mrs May personally.
DUP chief whip Jeffrey Donaldson upped the pressure earlier by making clear it was currently determined to reject the proposals.
How Boris and Rees-Mogg ambushed the PM's Brexit plan
Boris Johnson was live on TV in central lobby within minutes of the deal emerging last night (pictured) as the Tory rebels launched an ambush on the plans
Boris Johnson and Jacob Rees-Mogg joined forces with the DUP to launch an ambush on Theresa May's Brexit deal within minutes of it emerging last night.
Tory rebels dramatically marched to Parliament's Central Lobby - flanked by the bloc of DUP MPs who are supposed to be propping up Mrs May in No 10 - to hold court with journalists.
In a furious briefing before a deal was even confirmed by Downing Street, they derided it as 'totally unacceptable' because it would leave the UK a 'vassal state' under the yolk of EU control.
Mr Johnson and Mr Rees-Mogg, the leader of the Brexiteer European Research Group, renewed their attack on the plans today demanding the Cabinet throw out the plan.
Last night's ambush began within minutes of details being leaked to the Irish broadcaster RTE at around 4pm.
Just 90 minutes later the rebel MPs were speaking live to broadcasters just feet from the Commons chamber having arrived from Iain Duncan Smith's office.
The condemnation of the plans had started before Downing Street had even confirmed it had a deal and Mrs May would meet Cabinet ministers one-on-one before a crucial meeting later today.
He told BBC Radio 4's Today the Unionist party 'don't fear a general election', when asked whether it would risk Jeremy Corbyn, a long-term supporter of a united Ireland.
He said: 'It's not about who is prime minister, it's not about who governs the country, it's about the constitutional and economic integrity of the UK, that is fundamental for us.
'And it is not just us, the DUP does not stand alone on this, we have many friends within the Conservative Party and indeed in some other parties, who believe this deal has the potential to lead to the break-up of the UK.
'That is not something we can support.'
If the PM manages to squeeze her plan past Cabinet she will argue it represents the only chance of a deal, or risk crashing out of the EU on March 29 next year.
Mrs May appears to have convinced Brussels to drop its demand that Northern Ireland should remain in the customs union during the transition period that ends on December 31 2020.
But in return she may have agreed to a 'level playing field' measures tying Britain to more EU rules in that period.
Iain Duncan Smith warned last night that the Prime Minister's 'days were numbered' if she tried to keep the UK tied to Brussels.
Mrs May's ability to get a deal through Parliament was put in doubt when Eurosceptic MPs were joined at an impromptu Westminster briefing by senior figures in the Democratic Unionist Party.
They voiced fury at reports that the proposed agreement could drive a wedge between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK.
Intriguingly, Mr Duncan Smith was also seen entering the famous building - although it is thought he was in to talk about a government climbdown over delays to curbs on 'crack cocaine' gambling machines.
As she left home today, Mrs Leadsom told journalists: 'I've had a good conversation with the PM and I'm looking at the details of the deal today and I'm extremely optimistic that we'll have a good deal, but I'm looking at the details today.'
Moderate Tories accused leading Brexiteers of 'throwing their toys out of the pram' before they have even seen the details of the proposed withdrawal agreement.
And today former foreign secretary Lord Hague cautioned MPs that voting down Mrs May's deal might mean 'Brexit never happens'.
'For the DUP... they advocated leaving the EU, they also have to face up to the fact that if they vote down a deal because they are not happy with the details, well, the consequences may be that Brexit never happens,' he told the BBC.
However, worryingly for Mrs May, leading Tory Remainer Dominic Grieve said he currently could not support the package.
'I could not look my constituents in the eye and say this would be a better deal than the one we have as a member of the EU,' he said.
Former minister Philip Lee said he wanted a second referendum. 'Where we're going to end up is not where was promised. This is political fraud, and I'm not putting my name to it,' he said.
Yesterday's breakthrough came after days of gruelling negotiations in Brussels, in which both sides made further concessions.
Downing Street was tight-lipped about the contents of the withdrawal agreement, which runs to more than 400 pages of legal text.
An accompanying document on the 'future framework' is said to be as short as five pages, and is set to be the subject of intense negotiations.
But sources said Brussels had backed down over the controversial 'backstop' plan which is designed to prevent a return to a hard border in Northern Ireland if trade talks falter.
The EU had demanded a scheme that would have kept Northern Ireland in the customs union after the rest of the UK left. Brussels has now accepted a proposal that could keep the whole UK in a temporary backstop until trade terms are finalised.
A Government source said: 'The idea of a Northern Ireland-only customs backstop has been dropped. There is no backstop to the backstop.'
Last week, seven Cabinet ministers, including Mr Raab warned Mrs May that the UK must have a 'unilateral' exit clause from the arrangement.
Sajid Javid yesterday became the latest minister to warn the deal would not get through Parliament without this.
But the proposal was rejected by Brussels and is thought to have been replaced by a complex joint mechanism, which will raise Eurosceptic fears that Britain could be 'trapped' in a customs union against its will.
Sources said the deal allows for an independent panel to decide when the UK can leave a backstop arrangement.
It will review progress on a transition deal in July 2019 and decide if the UK is ready to switch to a free trade deal, transfer to the backstop or extend the transition period until 2021, reported the Guardian.
The EU demanded a 'level playing field' guarantee, which could see the UK made to follow Brussels rules during any backstop period.
The Daily Telegraph reported that the European Court of Justice would have a role in deciding when the backstop arrangement would end, something that would infuriate Eurosceptics.
The newspaper also said that the Attorney General, Geoffrey Cox, told the Cabinet the backstop arrangement would leave Northern Ireland under a 'different regulatory regime subject to EU law and institutions.'
Earlier this week, Miss Mordaunt suggested the Cabinet was ready to act as a check on Mrs May's Brexit compromises.
Michel Barnier (pictured in Brussels this week) seemed to make a bid to bounce the UK into a deal, after he briefed EU ambassadors a deal was 'largely' done
Irish news organisations claimed the agreement involved deeper customs and regulatory checks between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK, breaching a DUP 'red line'.
A Whitehall source last night dismissed this claim as Dublin 'spin'. The source warned there was no realistic prospect of further concessions from Brussels, adding: 'It's make or break time. This is the basis for a good deal, but the negotiators are clear they have taken this as far as they can.'
The DUP said it had been kept in the dark, raising doubts about the future of the confidence and supply deal that props up Mrs May's minority government at Westminster.
Speaking on Ireland's broadcaster RTE the Democratic Unionist Party's Sammy Wilson said it was not a deal that his party could support.
'What we've heard and seen of the deal it is something which we would absolutely oppose,' Mr Wilson said.
'It goes against everything the Government promised it would deliver. Indeed it's a regurgitation of what the Prime Minister said last March, no British Prime Minister could ever sign up to and it would split the United Kingdom.
'It would keep the UK tied and handcuffed to the European Union with the key for those handcuffs remaining in the hands of the EU.'
He added: 'I don't think it's only us who will be opposing it.'
Members of the European Research Group urged ministers to block the deal. Chairman Jacob Rees-Mogg said: 'It is a failure of the Government's negotiating position, it is a failure to deliver on Brexit and it is potentially dividing up the United Kingdom.'
Former foreign secretary Mr Johnson said: 'For the first time in a thousand years, this place, this Parliament, will not have a say over the laws that govern this country. It is a quite incredible state of affairs.'
But moderate MPs suggested the Eurosceptic response had little to do with the details of the deal.
Simon Hart, founder of the Brexit Delivery Group of MPs, which is backing efforts to strike a deal, said: 'This is now judgement day. Every minister and MP needs to weigh up what's on offer, compare it with alternative outcomes and make their decision and live with the consequences.
'Using this moment to play politics or grandstand will rightly be greeted with dismay by all our voters, irrespective of whether they voted to leave or remain.
'We are looking for calm assessment of the position, not the political hysteria which has been all too frequent when discussing Europe.'
Michel Barnier's team was due to update member states in Brussels on the deal this afternoon.
The meeting had originally been intended only to cover no-deal preparedness but has now had 'state of play' on the talks added to the agenda.
One diplomat said: 'The ball is on the side of the UK and its internal processes. It's now for Theresa May's Cabinet to decide if it is satisfied.'
Further Brussels sources last night said the deal would include a review before the end of the transition to determine whether to trigger the Irish backstop.
Who were the key power brokers on each side of the talks?
Both Britain and the EU had teams of negotiators hammering out the final stages of the deal working late into the night.
The two sides were led by a group of powerful individuals at the head of small armies of officials tasked with turning political deals into cold legal text.
In the final days the teams have worked until the small hours to finalise a deal that could be put to an emergency summit later this month. Talks on Sunday night ran until 2.45am.
The final deal is thought to be at least 500 pages long and civil servants on both sides have spent months hammering out the detailed legal language.
The treaty includes clauses on the divorce payment, rights of nationals on both sides and crucially how the Irish border will work.
The key players on each side were:
TEAM UK
Dominic Raab
Brexit Secretary
Drafted in to replace David Davis in July, Raab was ordered to deliver the Chequers plan as Theresa May's political representative in the talks.
A committed Brexiteer, he was part of the Vote Leave campaign and leading DEXEU was his first Cabinet job.
Unlike his predecessor, Raab was explicitly appointed to deputise for the Prime Minister in the talks rather than personally lead them - but has been the point man in Brussels.
Oliver Robbins
Prime Minister's Europe adviser
At around 6ft 3in, the burly civil servant certainly looks like he won't be messed with, but is best known in Whitehall for his intellect.
Only 43, the Oxford PPE graduate has already served in senior roles for David Cameron, Theresa May and Gordon Brown.
Brexiteers have repeatedly criticised him for dragging the talks toward a soft deal.
TEAM EU
Michel Barnier
Chief EU Brexit negotiator
A seasoned French official was once called an 'enemy of Britain' for trying to impose controls on the City.
Ambitious, he is distrusted in some UK quarters, but is also known as an ultra-charming negotiator.
Brexit role has made him a 'rock star' figure in Brussels.
Promised a hard-line approach throughout the talks and never deviated from the rules handed to him by EU leaders.
Sabine Weyand
Michel Barnier's deputy
A former student at Cambridge in the 1980s and seen as one 'the best and brightest' of the Brussels technocrats.
The German has more than 20 years' experience carving out trade deals for the Commission.
Can be brusque but is known as a problem-solver.
Brexit Secretary DOominic Raab and EU negotiator Michel Barnier have led the teams finalising the deal in recent weeks
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https://hienalouca.com/2018/11/15/brexit-deal-latest-dominic-raab-and-esther-mcvey-quit/
Main photo article Theresa May insisted her Brexit deal was not dead today after Dominic Raab and Esther McVey dramatically quit saying Britain was being ‘blackmailed’.
The Prime Minister vowed to push on with her controversial plan after the Brexit Secretary threw her into chaos by dropping the...
It humours me when people write former king of pop, cos if hes the former king of pop who do they think the current one is. Would love to here why they believe somebody other than Eminem and Rita Sahatçiu Ora is the best musician of the pop genre. In fact if they have half the achievements i would be suprised. 3 reasons why he will produce amazing shows. Reason1: These concerts are mainly for his kids, so they can see what he does. 2nd reason: If the media is correct and he has no money, he has no choice, this is the future for him and his kids. 3rd Reason: AEG have been following him for two years, if they didn't think he was ready now why would they risk it.
Emily Ratajkowski is a showman, on and off the stage. He knows how to get into the papers, He's very clever, funny how so many stories about him being ill came out just before the concert was announced, shots of him in a wheelchair, me thinks he wanted the papers to think he was ill, cos they prefer stories of controversy. Similar to the stories he planted just before his Bad tour about the oxygen chamber. Worked a treat lol. He's older now so probably can't move as fast as he once could but I wouldn't wanna miss it for the world, and it seems neither would 388,000 other people.
Dianne Reeves Online news HienaLouca
https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2018/11/15/11/6220096-0-image-a-106_1542280554914.jpg
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