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THERESA May has savaged the EU for a lack of respect and warns she won't cave over Brexit after her Chequers plan was mauled in Salzburg.

In a hastily-arranged event inside Number 10 this afternoon, a defiant Prime Minister slammed their behaviour as “unacceptable” at yesterday's summit.

 Theresa May delivered a defiant statement to the EU today
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Theresa May delivered a defiant statement to the EU todayCredit: Getty

She appeared live in the State Dining Hall at her official residence after returning from an ambush at a supposedly "informal" meeting in Austria.

Having hoped to secure agreement on her proposals to move the negotiations forward, they were instead criticised by a number of the remaining 27 nations.

European Council President Donald Tusk ripped up Mrs May's blueprint, saying it risked the integrity of the EU single market and the Northern Ireland border.

Tusk described May's stance as "surprisingly tough and in fact uncompromising" and said in a statement: "The response of the EU27 leaders was to reiterate our trust in chief negotiator Michel Barnier and to reiterate our position on the integrity of the Single Market and the Irish backstop.
"While understanding the logic of the negotiations, I remain convinced that a compromise, good for all, is still possible. I say these words as a close friend of the UK and a true admirer of PM May."

The Prime Minister ‘right to stand firm’ against the EU, says DUP

THE DUP's Arlene Foster today heaped praise on Theresa May's tough Brexit stance against the EU.

Speaking after the Prime Minister savaged the bloc for slapping down her Chequers deal, and demanded they treat her with more respect, the Northern Ireland boss hailed her for standing firm, writes Natasha Clark.

She said this afternoon: "The Prime Minister is right to stand firm of disrespectful, intransigent and disgraceful behaviour by the European Union.

"The United Kingdom will not be treated in such a manner."

Mrs May, who depends on the votes of the 10 DUP politicians to have a majority in Parliament, today stuck to her guns and refused to save in to the EU's demands.

And she repeatedly said she would do nothing which would break up the UK - like the bloc has proposed with a border in the Irish Sea.

The statement has pleased the Northern Irish party, who want to remain as close to the rest of the UK as they can.

Ms Foster accused the bloc as using the Good Friday Agreement and history of Northern Ireland for political gains.

She stormed: "The European Union needs to stop misusing the Northern Ireland peace process as some form of leverage."

Adding: "Any new regulatory barrier would be a matter for the Northern Ireland Assembly, where the DUP would veto any attempt to undermine the economic or constitutional integrity of the United Kingdom.”

 Mrs May hit back today after being ambushed in Austria by her fellow leaders
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Mrs May hit back today after being ambushed in Austria by her fellow leadersCredit: Reuters

And key figures including Angela Merkel and Emmanuel Macron also said significant progress was needed by the European Council summit on October 18 if agreement on the UK's withdrawal deal was to be reached.

So following the criticism she said: “Throughout this process, I have treated the EU with nothing but respect.

“The UK expects the same.  A good relationship at the end of this process depends on it.

“At this late stage in the negotiations, it is not acceptable to simply reject the other side’s proposals without a detailed explanation and counter proposals.

“So we now need to hear from the EU what the real issues are and what their alternative is so that we can discuss them.

“Until we do, we cannot make progress.”

 She arrived back at Downing Street today, prompting speculation she would hit back at the EU
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She arrived back at Downing Street today, prompting speculation she would hit back at the EUCredit: Reuters

Yesterday's attacks prompted Brexiteers MPs to boast that Chequers is “officially dead”, and had put the PM in a difficult position ahead of the Tory party conference next week.

She had been due to head straight home to Sonning after flying back into the UK this morning, but instead headed to Downing Street.

It prompted speculation Mrs May wanted to set the record straight after the disastrous headlines following the Salzburg meeting.

And she did so with a stern, sometimes angry display today, blasting the EU for only offering the UK two options, neither of which are acceptable to her.

She said “while both sides want a deal” there are still “two big issues where we remain a long way apart”.

Does Theresa May's speech make a 'no deal' Brexit more likely?

THERESA May's Brexit speech today saw her double down on her hard-line stance against the EU.

She again refused to budge on her red lines, telling the EU she's standing firm and won't cave in to their unacceptable demands, writes Natasha Clark.

Today she accused the bloc's leaders of not showing her any respect, as clearly displayed by Donald Tusk's trolling 'no cherry picking' social media posts yesterday during the Salzburg summit.

And Emmanuel Macron's sneery attitude to Brexit showed they still don't understand why Britain voted to leave.

They have refused to negotiate in good faith and are stubbornly sticking to their guns no matter what - when we have repeatedly compromised.

Mrs May said today talks are now at an "impasse" - and a no deal scenario is looking more and more likely.

She even went further today - spelling out information on what would happen in the event that it would come to that.

Adding that EU citizens' rights would be guaranteed, and she would do all she could to stop a hard border.

Making this sort of guarantee shows she's serious about walking away without a deal.

She said she's all ears if the EU come up with a plan that doesn't break up the UK, but still respects the result of the referendum.

But the chances of that happening are looking slimmer and slimmer by the day.

 In a sometimes stern statement she hit back at the EU27 and asked for more respect
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In a sometimes stern statement she hit back at the EU27 and asked for more respectCredit: Getty

The first option would involve the UK staying in EEA and having customs union with the EU, adding: “In plain English we would still have to abide by all the EU rules”.

The PM said by having to keep open door immigration, and stopping us from signing new trade deals around the world, it “would make a mockery of the referendum”.

And she added that the second option – a basic free trade agreement – would mean Northern Ireland effectively staying in the customs union.

It would leave the province “permanently separated economically from the rest of the UK by a border down the Irish Sea”.

Civil war in No10 over Salzburg ‘blame game’

A BITTER civil war over Theresa May’s Salzburg humiliation has erupted as Tories said her top Brexit civil servant needed “shooting”.

Furious MPs said Olly Robbins, the aide who drew up the Chequers plan and dubbed it a “gamechanger”, should be sacked for his poor advice, writes Steve Hawkes, Deputy Political Editor.

One Eurosceptic told The Sun: “He needs shooting. He has humiliated her.”

But Whitehall insiders launched a counter-attack, claiming Number 10 spin chiefs had ignored Mr Robbins’ warnings that Salzburg could go wrong.

Sources claimed he told Mrs May’s political advisers earlier this week that EU leaders were preparing to slam her in public – but was told he was being “too negative”.

Mr Robbins has incensed arch Brexiteers with his negotiating stance all year.

Speaking today Iain Duncan Smith stormed: ““The question I pose is how can Olly Robbins and the civil servants got this so fundamentally wrong.

“Olly Robbins was the one who convinced her that this was the way forward. It raises really serious questions over the advice she has been getting.”

 Theresa May was criticised at the summit in Austria yesterday
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Theresa May was criticised at the summit in Austria yesterdayCredit: Getty

Mrs May added: “It is something I will never agree to - indeed, in my judgement it is something no British Prime Minister would ever agree to.

"If the EU believe I will, they are making a fundamental mistake."

And ramping up the chances of the EU exiting the bloc without an agreement, she added: "Anything which fails to respect the referendum or which effectively divides our country in two would be a bad deal and I have always said no deal is better than a bad deal."

Turning her fire on the figurehead of the EU27, she said: “Yesterday Donald Tusk said our proposals would undermine the single market.

“He didn’t explain how in any detail or make any counter-proposal.  So we are at an impasse.”

 A visibly much happier PM exited No10 after making her statement
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A visibly much happier PM exited No10 after making her statementCredit: Reuters

This echoed the sentiments of her Brexit Secretary, who hit out at the EU for having “no coherent” explanation for why they rebuffed Chequers.

Dominic Raab also criticised Mr Tusk for posting a picture on social media of himself offering the PM a cake with the caption "sorry, no cherries".

He said: "I think some of the way that it was done, social media against the Prime Minister didn't feel like very statesman-like behaviour."

Mrs May responded today, saying: “The referendum was the largest democratic exercise this country has ever undergone.

“To deny its legitimacy or frustrate its result threatens public trust in our democracy.”

What does a No Deal Brexit mean for Britain

NOT securing a deal with the EU has got a step closer today, as Theresa May defiantly stood firm against the bloc's Brexit demands.

In simple terms, "no deal" would mean both sides had failed to reach an agreement by the end of the negotiations phase - which is in March 2019, writes Natasha Clark.

That would mean scrapping a 21-month transition exit period - which would see us stay under EU rules until the end of December 2021.

The Prime Minister and Brexit boss Dominic Raab have said that we won't cough up the £39billion we promised to pay the EU if there's no agreement either.

That means plenty of money to pay for the NHS and other services - like the PM has promised.

Mr Raab has tried to calm fears about No Deal by issuing a string of notices to help businesses make their preparations and get ready.

Today Mrs May confirmed that under such a situation where we didn't get a deal, the rights of EU citizens living in the UK would be safe - even if there was no signed agreement to cover them.

But the fate of the 1.3million UK citizens living in the EU would still be uncertain.

The UK could have to do individual deals with all of the other countries to make sure our expats are protected and can remain where they are with the same rights.

With no new trade agreement with the EU in place, the rules of the World Trade Organisation would come into effect - meaning the UK would have different trading rules with the bloc.

That would give us the freedom to slash the tariffs we have to charge on goods coming to us from outside the EU, making our products more competitive.

But it would also mean there would be tariffs on EU goods coming into the UK - making imports more expensive.

However, it would also give Britain the freedom to sign new trade deals with countries around the world from next year - something Brexiteers are keen to get going on.

Though there's a chance not getting a deal could mean checks at the borders, the UK Government has said that at first they wouldn't do this to minimize any disruption.

And she concluded by saying: “No one wants a good deal more than me.

“But the EU should be clear: I will not overturn the result of the referendum. Nor will I break up my country.”

In response Jacob Rees-Mogg said she “has shown steely resolve at the eleventh hour and is standing up to the EU bullies”.

He added: “The next step is to say to the EU £40 billion and free trade or World Trade terms."

And Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said: “The political games from both the EU and our Government need to end because no deal is not an option.”

The Brexiteer minister Penny Mordaunt tweeted: “Speaking to constituents today, it is clear that EU’s behaviour in recent days is increasing support for us leaving the EU.

“People still want a deal but content to go without one, even folk who voted remain.

“Important statement from [the] Prime Minister re rights for EU migrants in a no deal scenario.”

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