Theresa May takes revenge on Donald Trump over trade deal row

Theresa May takes revenge on Donald Trump over trade deal row

Theresa May finds herself caught in the crossfire over Europe

The prime minister knows delivering a Brexit deal acceptable to all sides of her party is an impossible task.

But today she's confident her Chequers plan is workable, at least more workable than any of the options the EU suggested.

Laying down the gauntlet, she admitted her proposal is a "compromise" but insisted "it is a positive".

Facing down the critics, she's reminding MPs to keep their "eyes on the prize" or prepare for the no-deal scenario.

And that means critics on both sides of the debate.


May's eye roll as Trump quizzed on Brexit

Brexiteers hate the idea of a common rule book, fearing we'll become the rule taker of Brussels.

And Remainers say taking the UK out of the customs union won't work either.

It didn't help the PM this week when president Trump said he feared the deal would kill hopes of a US-UK trade deal.

He later rowed back on the remarks, but Theresa May took her own revenge today revealing the president's "brutal" advice to her on solving Brexit.

"He said I should sue the EU," she said with a wry smile.

That won't happen of course, but the president's initial concern about the UK's ability to strike free trade deals can't be dismissed so easily.

May greets Trump at Chequers

Former Brexit secretary David Davis warns her "halfway house" plan could be "profoundly dangerous" and undermine the whole Brexit process.

And he's angry the PM went over his head with the Brexit white paper.

Not so she says, it had been "in gestation for some time".

Certainly not the view of Mr Davis.

One thing all sides agree and what the PM made very clear is that the clock is ticking.

She's still got a bumpy path ahead, with both the trade and customs bills, two key pieces of Brexit legislation, back in the Commons.

If she can make it through the week she has, for now, bought herself just a bit more time.