Brexit EU summit LIVE: EU leaders issue ultimatum to MPs — back May's deal or get nothing
The prime minister says this is the 'best deal possible' and she will make the case to parliament and to the public
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Your support makes all the difference.EU leaders have challenged MPs to either back Theresa May’s Brexit deal or face up to the economic consequences of crashing out of the bloc.
Heads of its 27 member states took little more than half an hour this morning to rubber-stamp the agreement setting the terms for Britain's departure.
However, the deal now faces a vote in the House of Commons, where the odds appear stacked against it as MPs of all stripes, including a significant portion of the prime minister’s own party, have made their opposition clear.
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Jean-Claude Juncker, the president of the European Commission, warned them the agreement was the “only deal possible” and hopes that a better one could be struck were in vain.
“Those who think by rejecting the deal that they would have a better deal will be disappointed in the first seconds after the rejection of this deal,” he said.
In a veiled plea to MPs Michel Barnier, Europe’s chief negotiator, called on “everyone to face up to their responsibilities”.
Mr Barnier said the deal with the UK was a "necessary step" to advance to the next phase of the negotiations.
"I have worked with my team and negotiated with the UK, never against the UK," he told reporters as he arrived for the summit.
"Now it is time for everybody to take their responsibility. This deal is a necessary step to build the trust between the UK and the EU we need to build.
"The next phase is an unprecedented and ambitious partnership. We will remain allies, partners and friends."
Ms May has written a letter to the British public pleading for the country’s support over the deal.
In her letter she promised a “brighter future” and said that Brexit would be "a moment of renewal and reconciliation for our whole country".
Ian Blackford, the SNP’s leader in Westminster, says he doesn’t see “any chance” that Ms May’s deal will make it through parliament.
“I think the prime minister knows that this will get voted down in the House of Commons,” Mr Blackford told Sky News.
“She needs to face reality that she needs to go back and think again.”
Leo Varadkar has been very vocal about his thoughts on May's deal.
He has now said that he believes support for the deal will increase as the date of the vote draws closer and people realise that "the alternative is a no-deal cliff-edge Brexit".
He said: "As decision day approaches the chances of Prime Minister May winning the vote in Parliament actually increases.
"As time goes on, as we get closer to the vote, it will become more and more obvious that the alternative to this deal is a no-deal scenario and that is essentially a difficult decision that MPs are going to have to make.
"Ultimately this is internal decision for members of the House of Commons to make and as a government of another country I think we need to be careful about any interventions and be sensitive about them."
Ireland's premier has said there is "no plan B" if the draft Brexit deal is rejected by the UK parliament and that all those concerned need to "get on" with the ratification process and start negotiating the future.
Leo Varadkar said the best outcome for everyone would be if the Britain remained in the EU, but given that was not going to happen, the draft agreement was "next best" thing.
Cabinet ministers and loyal MPs have joined a social media campaign in support of Theresa May's Brexit deal.
Using the Twitter hashtag £BackTheBrexitDeal, senior ministers joined the co-ordinated online effort.
But other Tories were not happy, with Eurosceptic Conor Burns claiming at least one outwardly loyal MP believed it was a "dreadful deal" and their public comments must "eat at their soul".
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