AFTER months of negotiation, the UK and EU have settled the terms of a Brexit deal.

Despite the unquestionable stamina of our Prime Minister, it is a bad deal for the country and Parliament should reject it.

4 Ex-Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab makes a plea to reject Theresa May's Brexit deal Credit: Alamy Live News

In settling our accounts and paving the way for a future trade agreement, the UK government offered the EU £39 billion. The British people will rightly expect a good return on that money.

Yet, when it comes to taking back democratic control over our laws, the final terms are worse than membership of the EU.

We would still be bound indefinitely by EU-imposed rules on customs, trade, employment, social policy and tax – with no say over those rules, and no ability to exit the regime.

The government rightly resisted pressure to accept Free Movement of people from EU countries, to allow us to regain control over our immigration policy.

4 Mr Raab applauds Mrs May's stamina but says she's been bullied by the EU Credit: Rex Features

But, the current deal leaves it open for the EU to refuse a permanent trade deal unless we cave in during the second phase of negotiations, after March.

As for the dream of a global Britain trading more energetically from Asia to Latin America, the EU has tied our hands, hobbling those ambitions.

This suffocates one of the great opportunities of Brexit – to use free trade to create better paid jobs, and cut prices in the shops to ease the cost of living for working Britons.

Much has been made of the Northern Ireland Protocol. No-one wants to see a return to the hard border between Northern Ireland and Ireland.

But, with smart deployment of technology and goodwill on all sides, that could easily be avoided.

4 The EU is now threatening to exclude The Rock from the deal Credit: Reuters

Instead, the EU’s real game is to try to prise Northern Ireland away from Great Britain, aligning its laws with the EU – a direct threat to the integrity of the UK.

Scenting weakness, the EU is now threatening to exclude Gibraltar from a future trade deal.

We are being blackmailed and bullied into a flawed deal. The EU has used the negotiations to stifle the opportunities and optimism that fired people up to vote Leave in 2016.

In truth, there are risks in any course of action we take now. But, by far the gravest is to succumb to the EU’s terms, stay tethered to Brussels, and accept a deal that prevents us from becoming masters of our own destiny.

4 Mr Raab believes that with new technology and good will, the Irish border problem can be solved Credit: AFP or licensors

Over the long term, that would drain the strength of our economy, when Brexit should be a boost for workers and consumers. And those who voted Leave would feel cheated, shredding trust in our democracy.

Of course, the EU were never going to welcome Brexit. Some sour grapes were inevitable. That’s why we worked hard to leave on positive terms, extending the arm of friendship.

In return, the EU has taken every concession and gesture of goodwill as a chance to try to bully and control us – at times treating our Prime Minister, and our country, with outright disdain.

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We need to be honest about the situation: there are risks in a No Deal scenario.

But, they can be mitigated and managed by the government - if it exercises grip and demonstrates political will. So, let us steel ourselves, and reject this miserly deal.

We should make our best final offer to Brussels, then ready ourselves to leave the EU on 29 March - whatever their response.That way, we can deliver on the verdict of the people, and grasp the opportunities of Brexit. It is time to stand tall in the world, not tremble at the EU’s feet.

Dominic Raab is the MP for Esher & Walton.

Former Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab says Theresa May’s current deal is worse than staying in the EU