At 4pm on Thursday, six Cabinet ministers went into Downing Street for talks on two of the biggest gambles of Theresa May's Premiership - extending Article 50 and negotiations over a Brexit deal with Labour.

They spent the next five-and-a-half hours locked in discussions, dining on pizza in the Cabinet room as they attempted to thrash out their differences over Brexit.

By Friday morning the Prime Minister had chosen to go for the middle ground, settling on a series of compromises that bought her a few days grace from her fractious Cabinet but ultimately satisfied no-one.

Talks with Labour collapsed, while Eurosceptic Tory MPs and the DUP appeared more alienated than ever. The Prime Minister's critics were holding urgent talks on how to accelerate her departure.

At 8.54am on Friday the Prime Minister sent her letter to Donald Tusk, the President of the European Council, requesting an extension of Article 50 until June 30.