May says Brexit deal will not be unpicked, as Spain ramps up Gibraltar pressure

Theresa May insisted her Brexit deal with the European Union could not be rewritten, as she faced demands to make changes.

The Prime Minister is facing demands from MPs across the political spectrum to abandon her plan and go back to the negotiating table, while the Spanish government has stepped up efforts to secure concessions over Gibraltar.

In a BBC phone-in as part of her drive to sell the agreement to the public, Mrs May insisted there was no mood on the EU side for fresh concessions.

“This is the deal that I think works for the UK,” she said.

Earlier, former Brexit secretary Dominic Raab, a committed Leaver who quit last week over the Withdrawal Agreement, said he believed the terms were so bad the UK would be better off remaining in the EU.

“I’m not going to advocate staying in the EU,” he told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme.

“But if you just presented me terms, this deal or EU membership, because we would effectively be bound by the same rules but without the control or voice over them, yes, I think this would be even worse than that.”

With more than 80 Conservative MPs – from both the Leave and Remain sides – threatening to vote against the agreement, Mr Raab warned it was unlikely to get through the Commons and said ministers should consider leaving without a deal.

“We will, I think, inevitably see Parliament vote this deal down.

“And then I think some of those other alternatives will need to come into play,” he said.

Mrs May, however, warned rejection of her plan would lead to more “uncertainty and division” and that the public now wanted the Government and MPs to get on and deliver Brexit.

“In Parliament there’s a lot of focus on who’s going to vote for the deal or not, and outside I think people are thinking ‘Actually, let’s make sure we can get this through and get on with delivering’,” she said.

“If this deal doesn’t go through we are back at square one. What we end up with is more uncertainty and more division.”

Despite the turmoil, the Prime Minister again insisted that as far as she was concerned, Brexit would go ahead next year as planned.

“Personally, there is no question of no Brexit, because the Government needs to deliver on what people voted for in the referendum in 2016,” she said.

“As far as I am concerned, the UK is leaving the European Union on March 29 2019.”

Spanish premier Pedro Sanchez demanded last-minute changes to the deal to reflect Spain’s continuing concerns over the status of Gibraltar.

Spain’s junior minister for the EU later said British authorities have consented to Spanish demands granting Madrid prior approval on matters relating to The Rock.

Luis Marco Aguiriano said: “We have a promise, a commitment, from the British government, saying they are ready to … guarantee that they will go along with the clarification we have requested.”

But a Downing Street source said: “I don’t know what he is referring to.

“Our principles have been very clear, we have negotiated on behalf of the whole of the UK family – that includes Gibraltar and the overseas territories.”

Number 10 said it is “not aware” of any moves to add any appendix or addendum to the Withdrawal Agreement to deal with other nations’ concerns including Gibraltar or fishing rights.

Chief Minister of Gibraltar Fabian Picardo criticised Spain’s stance.

He told the BBC: “Spain doesn’t need an article in the treaties, the future declaration, or indeed the Withdrawal Agreement, to bring Gibraltar to the table.

“Gibraltar has demonstrated that we actually want a direct engagement with Spain on issues.”