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| Talks through the night, a pre-dawn flight, and finally the deal was done | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Theresa May made crunch calls to Arlene Foster, the DUP leader, late into Thursday night to secure agreement to move on the Brexit talks, while the Christmas party at Downing Street played on around her. | Theresa May made crunch calls to Arlene Foster, the DUP leader, late into Thursday night to secure agreement to move on the Brexit talks, while the Christmas party at Downing Street played on around her. |
| Senior advisers thrashed out the final details into the early hours of Friday, with the prime minister sleeping for just two hours before leaving Downing Street at 3.30am for a drive to RAF Northolt to take the short flight to Brussels. | Senior advisers thrashed out the final details into the early hours of Friday, with the prime minister sleeping for just two hours before leaving Downing Street at 3.30am for a drive to RAF Northolt to take the short flight to Brussels. |
| After breakfast with David Davis, the Brexit secretary, and Jean-Claude Juncker, president of the European commission, the deal was done. Her plane had touched down in the UK by 9.30am and she headed for her Maidenhead constituency. | After breakfast with David Davis, the Brexit secretary, and Jean-Claude Juncker, president of the European commission, the deal was done. Her plane had touched down in the UK by 9.30am and she headed for her Maidenhead constituency. |
| “It was a long night,” her spokesman said. “The text kept changing until it was in a place where everybody felt it was what we needed to achieve.” | “It was a long night,” her spokesman said. “The text kept changing until it was in a place where everybody felt it was what we needed to achieve.” |
| The work was relentless over the past 48 hours, officials said. “The prime minister had a tough day yesterday, there was a lot of work to be done, a lot of conversations to be had,” her spokesman said. “We’re pleased we’ve got to the place we are this morning.” | The work was relentless over the past 48 hours, officials said. “The prime minister had a tough day yesterday, there was a lot of work to be done, a lot of conversations to be had,” her spokesman said. “We’re pleased we’ve got to the place we are this morning.” |
| Downing Street and aides from the Department for Exiting the EU (DExEU) described incremental progress made throughout the day on Thursday, but it was late into the evening when all sides agreed. May made two personal calls to Foster, one at 9pm and another at 11pm. | Downing Street and aides from the Department for Exiting the EU (DExEU) described incremental progress made throughout the day on Thursday, but it was late into the evening when all sides agreed. May made two personal calls to Foster, one at 9pm and another at 11pm. |
| Earlier in the evening she had spoken to Leo Varadkar, the Irish taoiseach, and Juncker. | |
| On Wednesday, May spoke to Michelle O’Neill, leader of Sinn Féin, and a second call was planned for Friday afternoon. | On Wednesday, May spoke to Michelle O’Neill, leader of Sinn Féin, and a second call was planned for Friday afternoon. |
| During the day, a delegation of DUP MPs – Nigel Dodds, Sammy Wilson, Jeffrey Donaldson and Emma Little-Pengelly – spoke to the prime minister with her chief of staff, Gavin Barwell, and chief whip, Julian Smith. | During the day, a delegation of DUP MPs – Nigel Dodds, Sammy Wilson, Jeffrey Donaldson and Emma Little-Pengelly – spoke to the prime minister with her chief of staff, Gavin Barwell, and chief whip, Julian Smith. |
| The tense mood was lifted by the clash of the race to clinch a deal with the Downing Street staff’s Christmas party. One aide said the celebrations were “going on around the prime minister”. | The tense mood was lifted by the clash of the race to clinch a deal with the Downing Street staff’s Christmas party. One aide said the celebrations were “going on around the prime minister”. |
| Barwell, the former MP for Croydon Central, left shortly after 1am for three hours’ sleep before the dash to Brussels, tweeting that it had been a “long night”. | Barwell, the former MP for Croydon Central, left shortly after 1am for three hours’ sleep before the dash to Brussels, tweeting that it had been a “long night”. |
| In a rare tweet, Smith wrote that he saw his role in the talks as reflecting the views of Conservative MPs. “I have done everything I can to represent the wide range of views of Conservatives colleagues.” | In a rare tweet, Smith wrote that he saw his role in the talks as reflecting the views of Conservative MPs. “I have done everything I can to represent the wide range of views of Conservatives colleagues.” |
| Foster said on Thursday morning the call had not ended in complete agreement, but May had informed her she intended to press on with the offer they had discussed. | Foster said on Thursday morning the call had not ended in complete agreement, but May had informed her she intended to press on with the offer they had discussed. |
| “We cautioned the prime minister about proceeding with this agreement in its present form, given the issues which still need to be resolved and the views expressed to us by many of her own party colleagues,” Foster said. | “We cautioned the prime minister about proceeding with this agreement in its present form, given the issues which still need to be resolved and the views expressed to us by many of her own party colleagues,” Foster said. |
| “However, it was ultimately a matter for the prime minister to decide how she chose to proceed.” | “However, it was ultimately a matter for the prime minister to decide how she chose to proceed.” |
| Over the course of Thursday and into the night, May kept her circle tight. Downing Street said the two leading Brexiters in the cabinet, Boris Johnson and Michael Gove were not part of the negotiations, though Johnson popped in for a short chat on Thursday evening. | Over the course of Thursday and into the night, May kept her circle tight. Downing Street said the two leading Brexiters in the cabinet, Boris Johnson and Michael Gove were not part of the negotiations, though Johnson popped in for a short chat on Thursday evening. |
| A nice moment last night as @BorisJohnson comes in for a quick update from @theresa_may pic.twitter.com/G5a4Z2nkdP | A nice moment last night as @BorisJohnson comes in for a quick update from @theresa_may pic.twitter.com/G5a4Z2nkdP |
| The cabinet did not get sign-off either. May flew to Brussels without explicitly seeking their nod, No 10 said. “In times like this there is some leeway for the prime minister, she has the authority to act in the best interests of the country,” her spokesman said. “You can see the response from cabinet colleagues on social media and elsewhere has been supportive.” | The cabinet did not get sign-off either. May flew to Brussels without explicitly seeking their nod, No 10 said. “In times like this there is some leeway for the prime minister, she has the authority to act in the best interests of the country,” her spokesman said. “You can see the response from cabinet colleagues on social media and elsewhere has been supportive.” |
| May is set to make a statement to the Commons on Monday, the first chance MPs will get to grill her on the detail of the joint statement. | May is set to make a statement to the Commons on Monday, the first chance MPs will get to grill her on the detail of the joint statement. |