Ministers warned there will be no sleep at Chequers as Theresa May tries to broker Brexit agreement
3 min read
Ministers have been warned that they cannot leave next week's Cabinet meeting at Chequers without finally agreeing the UK's Brexit position - even if it means going without sleep.
PoliticsHome understands that the crunch get-together will begin at 10.30am next Friday - and could still be going on into the early hours of Saturday morning.
However, because there are not enough beds at the Prime Minister's official residence, there is no prospect of them being able to sleep during their lengthy deliberations.
Mrs May has summoned the 22 members of her top team to the country mansion in Buckinghamshire to put the finishing touches to a Brexit white paper being published next month.
Deep splits still remain between Brexiteers such as Boris Johnson and David Davis, and pro-EU Tories including Philip Hammond and Greg Clark on the UK's future customs arrangements with the block.
Mrs May's 11-strong Brexit sub-committee has failed to reach an agreement, as have two working groups set up specifically to thrash out a customs position.
Next week's meeting had initially been expected to take place over two days, but that was cut to one by the Prime Minister in an attempt to force her warring Cabinet to come to an agreed position.
One Downing Street source said: "Pyjamas will not be required - it will be normal business attire."
A Number 10 insider said it was "possible" the meeting could go overnight, but another source insisted that did not mean those attending will be allowed to go to sleep.
"They need to agree because it needs agreeing," the source said. "If it runs late into the night they'll have to keep talking because there aren't enough beds."
One Cabinet member told PoliticsHome hopes were not high that any agreement will be reached.
They said: "There can only be two outcomes - another fudge or a bust-up."
Meanwhile, a former Brexit minister has said Theresa May must change her Brexit negotiating strategy or face a "rout" at the hands of the EU.
Lord Bridges, who quit the Government last year after a fall-out with the Prime Minister, said the Cabinet must stop fighting amongst themselves.
Writing in the Evening Standard, he said: "If nothing changes there’s a danger the UK will have to agree to a withdrawal treaty full of meaningless waffle on our future relationship with the EU.
"With so little leverage in the next phase, the negotiations would become a rout. Worse, uncertainty will drag on, damaging our economy."
He added: "Is this perfect? No compromise ever is. But if you aren’t honest about the situation, and comprise now among yourselves, the game will be up."
At an EU Council summit in Brussels on Thursday, Theresa May was warned by other leaders that much more progress must be made if there is to be a deal by the October cut-off point.
However, the Prime Minister warned that EU citizens' safety would be put at risk unless Brussels agreed a security partnership with the UK which is all-but identical to the one currently in place.
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