Theresa May will appeal to other EU leaders to ditch Michel Barnier’s “unacceptable demands” AP

European leaders are preparing to accept for the first time that Theresa May’s Chequers plan is the basis for a meaningful negotiation on a future relationship after Brexit.

In a significant intervention today before a summit in Salzburg, Donald Tusk, the president of the European Council, described Chequers as a positive evolution.

His comments are in stark contrast to those in recent weeks by Michel Barnier, the EU’s chief negotiator, who has said that the key element of Chequers could never be accepted by Brussels.

Mr Tusk said: “I would like to stress that some of the prime minister’s proposals from Chequers indicate a positive evolution in the UK’s approach as well as a will to minimise negative effects of Brexit”.

Unlike Mr Barnier, who…