Theresa May was last night given a boost in her knife-edge battle to secure MPs’ support for her Brexit deal when the Tories’ powerful ‘king-maker’ signalled he was ready to drop his opposition to it.

The intervention from Sir Graham Brady, chairman of the party’s backbench 1922 Committee, comes amid growing confidence in Downing Street that opposition to her deal is starting to crumble ahead of the critical Commons vote on March 12.

No 10 believes the prospect of MPs voting to delay or overturn Brexit if the deal is voted down has reduced the number of diehard opponents to between 15 and 25 – a group dubbed the ‘death cult’ by one pro-May MP.

Prime Minister Theresa May, pictured has been handed a significant boost ahead of her latest attempt to pass her Brexit deal through parliament

Chairman of the powerful 1922 Committee of Tory backbenchers Graham Brady, pictured, has said he was decided that he will support Mrs May's deal

Hardline opponent Jacob Rees-Mogg has also indicated he would support Mrs May's deal

Brussels sources say that any attempt by MPs to delay Brexit – due at the end of this month – by extending Article 50 for longer than a matter of weeks is likely to come with strict conditions, such as the UK remaining in a customs union or agreeing to hold a second referendum.

Sir Graham, who voted against Mrs May’s Withdrawal Agreement in January, writes in The Mail on Sunday today that after talking to ‘senior diplomats and politicians from across Europe’, he has ‘cause for optimism that a breakthrough is near’ to alter the backstop, which would keep Northern Ireland tied to EU rules.

The Altrincham and Sale West MP – who criticised the political class’s handling of Brexit as ‘lions led by donkeys’ – added: ‘The whole country is tired of vacillation and delay. When the right compromise is offered, we should pull together behind the Prime Minister.’

Mrs May’s allies have also been encouraged by the softening of opposition by Jacob Rees-Mogg, head of the European Research Group of Eurosceptic Tory MPs.

One said: ‘Jacob has finally realised that he stands to lose Brexit altogether. But it is still going to be: Will Boris [Johnson] and David Davis also see the light?’

Brussels insiders say negotiators have entered the ‘tunnel process’ – intensive and continuous talks to try to find a legally binding addition to the Withdrawal Agreement around the backstop.

Chief EU negotiator Michel Barnier finally conceded yesterday that Brussels was ready to give ‘further guarantees, assurances and clarifications that the backstop should only be temporary’ and hinted they would be legally enforceable.

However, he added that a short extension would be needed to ratify the terms of the deal on both sides of the Channel.

Downing Street will this week make a direct appeal to Labour MPs to back the deal.

Labour 'bribe' rift The Brexit Secretary has warned Theresa May that her plan to ‘bribe’ Labour MPs into backing her EU deal risks delaying Britain’s exit. The Prime Minister is set to offer MPs rolling votes on whether to adopt workers’ rights legislation that comes out of Brussels after the UK has left the bloc – in a bid to win over wavering Labour MPs and get them to back her divorce terms. But in a stark warning, Stephen Barclay said there were ‘significant risks with this approach’, adding that Mrs May must ‘stop short’ of giving Parliament a binding say. He added that there was ‘extremely limited’ time to rewrite crucial Brexit legislation to include the offer before exit day, risking a delay. Advertisement

Bassetlaw MP John Mann boasted that as many as 70 of his Labour colleagues could humiliate Jeremy Corbyn by abstaining or voting with the Government.

Downing Street poured cold water on the figure, but insiders are confident that 30 could back Mrs May – leading to a wafer-thin majority if the DUP can be convinced to back the deal or abstain.

Mrs May has also moved to quash attempts by Brexiteer Tory members to deselect their Remain-backing MPs. She personally telephoned former Minister Sam Gyimah, who quit to oppose Brexit, to reassure him when news emerged that he faced an internal bid to oust him from his Surrey seat.

Party chairman Brandon Lewis has promised that Conservative HQ will step in to veto the deselection of any Tory MP who supports the Prime Minister’s deal. In a further boost last night, another Tory MP who voted against Mrs May’s deal said he was also performing a U-turn. Cleethorpes MP Martin Vickers said: ‘Sadly, I cannot see how we can achieve Brexit other than by supporting a revised version of the PM’s deal.’

He added: ‘If we can reach a compromise on the backstop, we have to accept the reality that this is the best we can get. Otherwise we could end up in a deal that prevents us from implementing trade deals, having to keep free movement or, perish the thought, remaining an EU member.’

Meanwhile, Whitehall ground to a halt on Thursday evening for a No Deal dress rehearsal involving hundreds of Government officials and spin doctors.

The ‘day one’ doomsday scenario – codenamed ND:D1 – was ‘war-gamed’ with minute-by-minute updates, including a surge in Real IRA violence, cash machines running out of money and Britain’s borders grinding to a halt.

By ND:D7 – a week into the worst-case scenario – the Grand National at Aintree on April 6 was called off due to racehorses being stranded on motorways gridlocked by congestion and riots.

Oscar winning former Labour MP Glenda Jackson admits she's a fan of Theresa May but thinks Jeremy Corbyn is 'crazed'

By HARRY COLE

Glenda Jackson has come out fighting for Theresa May, saying she ‘loves’ the Prime Minister – while warning that Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour is ‘crazed’.

Despite being a lifelong critic of the Tories, the double Oscar-winning actress and former Labour MP, 82, praised Mrs May’s Brexit tenacity.

Describing the Prime Minister’s critics as ‘disgraceful’, she said: ‘There she is, slogging away, God love her.

Ms Jackson said she admires Theresa May, left, and thinks Jeremy Corbyn, right, is 'crazed'

‘I’m a big admirer of her and I think the way she’s been treated is utterly disgraceful. I don’t only mean by her own party. I’ve certainly admired her in the way she has handled herself over Brexit, yes.

‘I do admire her for her tenacity, trying to deliver the referendum result to the people of our country, even though I disapproved of it.

‘She tries to bring together two opposing sides, who find it very hard to tolerate each other, at the same time as having to deal with 27 other countries.’ Jackson, who starred in Women In Love and Elizabeth R before going on to become an MP for 23 years, also branded the idea of a second referendum as ‘absurd’, adding: ‘What’s to stop people then saying, “Well, let’s have a third?”’

And she turned her fire on Corbyn, adding: ‘I will always defend my party, but we’re not exactly covering ourselves with glory at the moment, are we?’

Asked how she would fix Labour, she told The Guardian: ‘I’d ask someone to explain to me what we’re doing. Anybody, please, tell me what are we doing? It’s crazed.’

Simples! How Theresa May's embarrassing Meerkat quip won her closest aide tea at the Ritz worth £58 and opened up the PM to ridicule

One of Theresa May’s closest aides won tea at The Ritz after getting the Prime Minister to say ‘Simples’ in the Commons.

MPs were baffled when Mrs May used the catchphrase made famous by meerkat Alexsandr in the Compare The Market ads, telling SNP leader Ian Blackford: ‘He should vote for a deal – simples!’

But The Mail on Sunday can reveal that Seema Kennedy, Mrs May’s Parliamentary Private Secretary, had a wager with Tory MP Simon Hoare that she could get her boss to say the word. Tea at The Ritz costs £58 – or £77 with a glass of bubbly.

Seema Kennedy, left, Mrs May's Parliamentary Private Secretary, laid a bet with fellow Tory MP Simon Hoare that she could get her boss to use the word 'Simples' at PMQs

Mr Hoare now owes Ms Kennedy tea at the Ritz which costs around £58

Politicians said they were 'stunned' by the quote, with Labour MP Rupa Huq tweeting: 'Theresa Meerkat just stunned the Commons by Maybot malfunction in stating it’s her deal or no deal then concluding "simples".'

Labour MP Liz McInnes said on Twitter: 'Yes, Theresa May did just respond "Simples" in the Brexit statement. Theresa Meerkat is now in charge. God help us.'

Sharon Hodgson, a Labour MP, said: 'Really can’t believe the PM has just said her Brexit plan is "Simples!" Well that’s one word for it!'

Mrs May has promised to give MPs a vote on extending Brexit negotiations or withdrawing from the EU without a deal if her plan is rejected next month.

In a statement to the House of Commons, Mrs May confirmed that she will put her Withdrawal Agreement to a 'meaningful vote' by March 12.

If that fails, MPs will be offered two separate votes on the following days; one on a no-deal Brexit and, if that is defeated, the other on requesting an extension to the two-year Article 50 negotiation process to delay EU withdrawal beyond March 29.

The Prime Minister said: 'Let me be clear, I do not want to see Article 50 extended.

'Our absolute focus should be on working to get a deal and leaving on March 29.'

I voted against Mrs May's deal. Now I'm ready to back it... SIR GRAHAM BRADY explains why he has changed his mind

Sir Graham Brady, chairman of the 1922 Committee of Tory backbenchers, pictured, explains why he has changed his mind on Theresa May's Brexit deal and will support it in Commons

Lions led by donkeys: nearly three years after the British people voted to take back control of our democracy, it is painfully obvious that the political class at Westminster doesn’t share the belief in our country that is shown by the people.

All too often it has looked as if the Establishment has wanted to negotiate a Brexit that looks shockingly like not leaving at all, even though the European Union has made it clear that a deep and open free trade agreement is there for the asking.

This is why the Prime Minister’s EU Withdrawal Agreement came so close to sinking back in January.

The agreement has some good points: it gives certainty to EU citizens in the United Kingdom and ours living on the continent; it tells businesses that contracts will continue to be honoured, and it gives a transition period during which a future free trade agreement could be negotiated.

But the agreement also contains a monumental bear trap.

The protocol that sets out to give reassurance that the Irish border would remain entirely open would have two damaging effects.

First, the so-called backstop would treat Northern Ireland differently from the rest of the United Kingdom, something that is anathema to anyone who believes in the Union; and second, it would carry the risk of trapping the whole of the UK in the EU customs union and therefore banned from making free trade deals with the faster-growing markets around the world.

This is not a time to make the best the enemy of the good, and most MPs are in a mood to compromise, but the danger of this backstop becoming permanent is a real one and it has to be tackled.

That is why I couldn’t vote for the agreement in its original form but also why I proposed an amendment at the end of January that showed the way to reach an acceptable compromise by seeking a legally binding guarantee that the Irish backstop could only be temporary.

My amendment won a majority in the House of Commons and proved wrong the doom-mongers who like to claim that there is no Brexit agreement that can possibly win the backing of Parliament.

Mr Brady is optimistic there is the possibility of compromise across Europe to accept parliament's position on the Irish backstop allowing Britain to leave the EU on March 29

In the month since my amendment was passed, there has been constant shuttle diplomacy – the Prime Minister, Brexit Secretary and Attorney General have been locked in daily discussions to find the binding guarantee that is needed.

Increasingly, the leaders of other EU countries have urged that a pragmatic solution should be found.

My conversations with senior diplomats and politicians from across Europe have given me cause for optimism that a breakthrough is near. Those who have pressed for delay or for No Deal to be taken off the table have weakened Theresa May’s hand and made a deal less likely, but I still believe a compromise is fundamentally in our interest and that of the EU.

We know what is needed to shift the log-jam. The Attorney General needs to give a legally binding guarantee that the backstop is temporary.

Once we have that, my colleagues in Parliament need to recognise the strength of feeling.

The whole country is tired of vacillation and delay.

When the right compromise is offered, we should pull together behind the Prime Minister and help her to deliver our exit from the European Union on March 29.

How Cox's 'codpiece' might save the day and allow PM's Brexit deal to scrape through the Commons ahead of March 29 EU departure

Attorney General Sir Geoffrey Cox, pictured, is attempting to write a codicil to the Government's Brexit withdrawal agreement with the EU which will alleviate concerns of Tory back benchers to the Northern Ireland back stop

Hopes of breaking the deadlock over the controversial Northern Ireland backstop rest on Attorney General Geoffrey Cox's legally binding addition to the Brussels divorce text.

The document, called a codicil, is the subject of intensive talks between British and EU negotiators as Brexit Day approaches.

Sir Geoffrey, the Government's top lawyer, sunk Mrs May's first attempt to get her Brexit deal through the Commons after his legal advice said the UK could be trapped in the backstop indefinitely.

He has now presented the codicil to Brussels – and, if it is accepted, it would allow the respected QC to change his advice to MPs.

However, the codicil falls far short of the fixed-time limit on the backstop demanded by Brexiteers, who have already mockingly dubbed the legal document 'a codpiece'.

However, the EU chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier has indicated he does not believe the UK will have enough time to approve Theresa May's withdrawal deal by the scheduled exit date of March 29.

Mr Barnier suggested a 'technical extension' of up to two months may be needed.

The Prime Minister has told MPs they will have a 'meaningful vote' on her withdrawal plans by March 12.

Asked if he thought it was possible to reach an agreement by March 29, even if Westminster gave the green light this month, Mr Barnier told Spain's El Mundo newspaper: 'No.'

Referencing a technical extension, Mr Barnier added: 'But you'll have to ask the United Kingdom. If there is a vote on the 12th and it takes two months to carry out the procedure, it would be justified.'

Mrs May has said that if her deal is rejected by Parliament, MPs will be able to vote on whether the UK can leave the EU in a no-deal scenario, and if that is rejected, the Commons can decide on whether to extend Article 50 and delay Brexit for a limited period.

EU Chief Negotiator Michel Barnier said he did not believe Britain will be in a position to leave the EU on March 29 and will require an Article 50 extension

Mr Barnier has also stated that Brussels is ready to give the UK further 'guarantees, assurances and clarifications' that the Irish backstop should only be temporary.

He insisted that the controversial measure, intended to avoid a hard border on the island of Ireland, will not be removed from the Withdrawal Agreement.

While acknowledging Brexiteer concerns that the backstop is a trap that would keep the UK tied to the EU indefinitely, Mr Barnier insisted it is only 'insurance' intended for the 'worst-case scenario'.

Speaking to German newspaper Die Welt, Mr Barnier said: 'We know that there are misgivings in Britain that the backstop could keep Britain forever connected to the EU.

'This is not the case. And we are ready to give further guarantees, assurances and clarifications that the backstop should only be temporary.'

The guarantees in question could come as an adjunct to the Withdrawal Agreement in the form of an 'interpretive document', he said.

However the EU will not allow for a time limit to be placed on the backstop or give Britain the right to unilaterally pull out of it, Mr Barnier added.

The development came as the president of Slovenia suggested the country and many other EU states would be willing to accept a short delay to Brexit.

Borut Pahor, who sat on the European Council of leaders when he was prime minister, told Sky News: 'I think Slovenia and a lot of other countries would say yes.

'I think that nobody wants to see a hard Brexit in a chaotic way, which would damage London and Brussels and Ljubljana and every country.'

However Mr Pahor said the extension should not be used simply to postpone the making of a compromise decision.

Mrs May has insisted she does not want a delay Brexit and believes the UK can leave the EU as scheduled on March 29.

Meanwhile, Jeremy Corbyn confirmed Labour would now back a referendum if faced with a 'damaging Tory Brexit' or a no-deal departure from the European Union after Labour's vision was rejected in the Commons.

Chief Secretary to the Treasury Liz Truss warned on Friday that a new Brexit referendum would provoke a 'massive crisis'.

She also indicated that a no-deal exit could be better than a delay.

Ms Truss told the BBC: 'I think it would be an absolute disaster if we had a second referendum after people voted so clearly to leave the European Union.

'There will be a massive crisis in this nation. And it would be terrible for business. It would leave us continuing in this limbo period.'