Opinion

Brexit deal debacle piles pressure on Theresa May

Theresa May obviously thought that yesterday would be a momentous day in the Brexit process.

A deal had been all but agreed on the arrangements for the border and an announcement was expected that would open the door to the next phase of talks on trade, which the British are desperately keen to get started.

Within hours the best laid plans had fallen apart.

As details of the deal began to circulate, which seemed to indicate special arrangements for Northern Ireland, a visibly strained Arlene Foster made a statement at Stormont saying the DUP would oppose the agreement if it meant the north being subject to different rules than Britain.

Meanwhile, leaders in Scotland, Wales and even the London mayor Sadiq Khan made it clear they would seek the same terms as Northern Ireland.

The first sign that the deal was in trouble was when Taoiseach Leo Varadkar postponed a 2.30pm press conference at which he was expected to announce an agreement, a development that would have been a major achievement for the Irish government.

We are told Mrs May had urgent telephone discussions with Arlene Foster and within a short time the British prime minister and Jean-Claude Juncker said there would be no agreement yesterday.

It appears the DUP has flexed its muscles and the prime minister has caved in, a move that will undermine her already weakened position.

Mrs May comes out of all this badly damaged.

She took a calculated risk on the arrangements contained in the border deal, knowing that failure to get to Phase Two of the negotiations would place her in an impossible position.

Now she has come back from Brussels with no deal, no move to the next stage and facing a barrage of criticism.

Mr Varadkar said he was `surprised and disappointed' at the turn of events, which we can be sure is something of an understatement.

Can it all be put back on track? It is hard to say, but once again we are in unknown territory with the pressure very much on Theresa May.