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Cabinet meets ahead of Theresa May's meeting in Brussels

Prime Minister Theresa May is to meet European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker in Brussels. Picture by Stefan Rousseau, Press Association
Prime Minister Theresa May is to meet European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker in Brussels. Picture by Stefan Rousseau, Press Association Prime Minister Theresa May is to meet European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker in Brussels. Picture by Stefan Rousseau, Press Association

THE British cabinet met for the first time today since two of its members quit over Theresa May's EU withdrawal agreement.

The Prime Minister appears to have seen off a leadership challenge after a pro-Brexit group within her Tory party has so far failed to get enough MPs to back a confidence vote.

Mrs May will travel to Brussels today for Brexit talks with European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker.

Downing Street said the meeting was part of the "ongoing negotiations over the future framework" agreement with the EU.

Asked if the meeting would be a negotiation, a commission spokesman said: "We have a process now where we discuss with our member states and with our British partners ahead of the European Council, Sunday.

"The aim of this last stretch is to endorse the withdrawal agreement and approve the terms of the future relationship, the political declaration for the future relationship.

"This is a moment where work is ongoing. We will crystallise this work, finalise on Sunday morning.

"The meeting with the prime minister tomorrow is important because it allows us to ensure that the process to the summit is addressing these two concepts."

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Several Tory MPs are still pushing for a vote against Mrs May.

Brexiteers today remained apparently divided over whether it was the right time to mount a challenge.

However, MP Jacob Rees-Mogg, leader of the pro-Brexit European Research Group (ERG), warned that they needed to consider whether they really wanted to carry on with her at the helm.

While party rules would permit a fresh challenge in a year's time if there was a failed attempt now, he said that in practice it was doubtful that would happen.

"Basically, if there is a vote of confidence it is not just for a year," he said.

"Getting the 48 letters has shown to be quite difficult, so the idea that in a year you just repeat the process and then she would go at that point, I don't think that is realistic."

Justice Secretary David Gauke said a move to oust Mrs May would be "dangerous for the country".

"The idea that at this point, in the middle of a very delicate negotiation, that is hugely important to the future of this country, that we should remove the Prime Minister, essentially leave us leaderless, for certainly several weeks, possibly months, would be hugely irresponsible," he told the BBC.

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