EU plans for Theresa May’s departure ‘after losing confidence’ in prime minister

EU officials are preparing contingency plans on how to deal with a hardline successor to Theresa May.

European leaders revealed at the weekend that they have lost confidence in the prime minister’s ability to govern and are concerned she will be replaced by a leader who will try and unpick the withdrawal agreement.

During a meeting of EU ambassadors and senior officials on Friday the European Commission’s secretary general Martin Selmayr raised the scenario of May leaving office.

The Observer reported Selmayr asking: ‘Imagine that they have a new Brexit secretary or prime minister – what then?

‘Article 50 has been agreed and the process has ended. It must be clear that the starting point is not a renegotiation of the withdrawal agreement.’

Selmayr argued the UK should be given a short Article 50 delay to prevent British MEPs having to take part in May’s European elections. He also raised doubts whether May would give the EU a clear reason for an extension.

One diplomat said at the meeting: ‘The clear feeling is that there is a complete lack of confidence in the British prime minister to deliver on this deal.’

The EU’s chief negotiator Michael Barnier has also expressed serious doubts about May’s ability to give a concrete reason for an extension to European leaders this week.

May is due to put her deal before the Commons for the third time on Tuesday and then will attend a summit meeting of EU leaders on Thursday.

Writing in the Telegraph today the May urged MPs to back her deal to avoid a national embarrassment.

She said: ‘The idea of the British people going to the polls to elect MEPs three years after voting to leave the EU hardly bears thinking about.

‘There could be no more potent symbol of Parliament’s collective political failure. All this makes the choice now facing MPs clearer than it has ever been.

‘If Parliament can find a way to back the Brexit deal before European Council, the UK will leave the EU this spring, without having to take part in the European elections, and we can get on with building our future relationship with the EU.’

Conservative cabinet members are locked in talks this weekend with leaders of the DUP in the hope of securing their support for May’s deal on Tuesday.