Donald Tusk, president of the European Council, wants to make the UK’s present policy politically toxic

European Union leaders in Brussels have drawn up a secret high-risk strategy to undermine Theresa May and exploit Westminster’s political divisions with the objective of “softening” Brexit.

In a plan being co-ordinated by Donald Tusk, president of the European Council, the EU is preparing to reject British government proposals for a bespoke sectoral deal when negotiations begin in April.

Instead European leaders will insist that if the government sticks to its red lines of pulling out of Europe’s customs union and single market then the EU will offer nothing more than a limited free trade agreement.

Senior figures in Brussels and other European capitals believe that this would increase domestic pressure on Mrs May to choose between hardliners in her party and what they