The DUP now consider a long extension to Brexit to be preferable to the prime minister's deal, Sky News understands.

Some in the party believe if the prime minister is forced by MPs to request a longer extension, there may be a change of Conservative leader to someone who could force through a different deal.

The party has been in talks with deputy prime minister David Lidington over the government's offer of a "Stormont lock" to ensure new EU laws applied in Northern Ireland would be accepted by the rest of the UK under the backstop arrangements.

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It is understood the talks broke up in acrimony last Tuesday amid concerns that such an arrangement would never be acceptable to some Tory Brexiteers or the other devolved administrations.

A source close to those talks told Sky News the party's MPs are moving towards "a long extension, perhaps a year or more, which would mean a change of leader and a different approach".


The party's MPs have discussed the fact that while the EU's permission would be needed to leave the backstop, if Britain secured a long extension as an EU member, it could decide not to renew it at any time.

A long extension would need to be agreed by all 27 remaining members of the European Union, but the French president warned against it at the EU summit last week.

Emmanuel Macron said: "In the case of a negative vote in the British parliament, we will be going to a no deal. We all know that.

"It is absolutely essential to be clear in these days and these moments, because it is a matter of the good functioning of the EU.

"We cannot have what I would call an excessive extension which would harm our capacity to decision and to act."

DUP MPs have resolutely opposed the Withdrawal Agreement, saying the backstop arrangements will lead to the breakup of the union and tie the UK into the EU's orbit indefinitely.

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Downing Street had hoped that support from the DUP at the eleventh hour would bring enough of the hardline Brexiteers in the Conservative Party over to the government's side to cobble together a majority with some Labour support.

But Sammy Wilson, the DUP's Brexit spokesman, said on Sky News earlier that no deal was preferable to the prime minister's "toxic" withdrawal agreement, which is expected to be brought back to parliament this week.

The MP for East Antrim said: "She still has huge difficulties in her own party.

"A number have left her own party who are determined to vote against the withdrawal agreement, many in her own party who, regardless of what we would do, will be voting against it... why would we vote for an agreement which cuts Northern Ireland off from the rest of the UK, which keeps the United Kingdom in the customs union and the single market."

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Following Sky's exclusive report, Mr Wilson wrote in the Daily Telegraph: "Even if we are forced into a one year extension, we would at least have a say on the things which affect us during that time and would have the right to unilaterally decide to leave at the end of that one-year period through the simple decision of not applying for a further extension.

"Surely this is a better strategy than volunteering to be locked into the prison of the withdrawal deal with the cell door key in the pocket of [EU negotiator] Michel Barnier?"

Members of the European Research Group are split on whether to support the prime minister's deal, with several now supporting it in order to deliver Brexit in the coming weeks rather than accept a softer version or a longer extension.

Brexiteer lawyer Martin Howe QC has suggested a long extension of Article 50 would be preferable to supporting the prime minister's deal.