The prime minister has been holding meetings with her backbenchers in the hope of bringing them round to supporting her deal

Theresa May is preparing to make concessions to Conservative Brexiteer rebels in a last-ditch attempt to get her EU withdrawal agreement passed by parliament.

No 10 said that the prime minister was holding meetings with Tory backbenchers and exploring changes that could make it more acceptable to MPs.

One idea under discussion would be to give parliament a formal role in policing the withdrawal agreement. This could include giving MPs a “lock” under which the government would not be able to enter into the Irish backstop without the specific approval of parliament.

Downing Street is also considering writing a commitment into law to adopt all EU single market regulations to stop any need for additional checks between Britain and Northern Ireland.

The charm offensive