BRITISH prime minister Theresa May says she had yet to see a "workable alternative" to her Brexit blueprint that would avoid the return of a hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic.
"I know there are some who have concerns about the 'common rule book' for goods and the customs arrangements which we have proposed will underpin the new UK-EU free trade area," she wrote in the Mail on Sunday.
"I understand those concerns, but the legacy of Brexit cannot be a hard border between Northern Ireland and Ireland that unpicks the historic Belfast Agreement.
"It cannot be the breaking up of our precious United Kingdom with a border down the Irish Sea. And it cannot be the destruction of integrated supply chains and just-in-time processes on which jobs and livelihoods depend."
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Lagan Valley MP Sir Jeffrey Donaldson - among the 10 DUP votes the prime minister relies on to maintain a majority - said the plan had left Mrs May with "no room to manoeuvre".
However, Sir Jeffrey said on BBC's Sunday Politics programme that the party is prepared to give her "some leeway to try and negotiate the best deal".
Mrs May said to date no other plan offered has been able to ensure trade remained as "frictionless" as possible and advised Tory rebels seeking to wreck her blueprint to leave the EU to fall into line.
"We need to keep our eyes on the prize. If we don't, we risk ending up with no Brexit at all," she said.
Later, on the Andrew Marr Show, she elaborated.
"This is a deal that has benefits. Our companies will abide by these rules anyway, keeping a frictionless border means that jobs will be protected, it protects the Northern Ireland order.
"It is non negotiable that freedom of movement will end. it is non negotiable that we are coming out of the customs union it s non negotiable that we will end the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice."
In her article, the prime minister acknowledged some MPs had concerns about her plan for a "common rule book" with the EU for goods and customs traded within what she called a new "UK-EU free trade area".
However, she stressed threatened revolts over the Trade Bill returns to the Commons tomorrow with rival amendments tabled by pro- and anti-EU Conservatives risk undermining any chances of a deal with Brussels.
Deputy Labour Party leader Tom Watson said the party did not think that the so-called Chequers plan would adhere to its red lines and the party had "very little confidence in Theresa May's plan and her ability to deliver it".
He told Sky News: "In its current form it's not good enough."
