Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May
British Prime Minister Theresa May was struggling on Friday to find consensus on Brexit proposals that would be acceptable to her ministers, her Conservative Party and the Northern Irish lawmakers who prop up her minority government.
Brexit negotiations with the European Union have accelerated and become more positive over the past week, though significant hurdles remain, finance minister Philip Hammond said.
"What has happened over the last week, 10 days, is that there has been a measurable change in pace," he told the BBC.
"But that shouldn't conceal the fact that we still have some big differences left to resolve," Hammond said. "So process is a lot more positive this week - substance still very challenging."
British Prime Minister Theresa May will meet ministers on Thursday to discuss Brexit, hours after her parliamentary partner threatened to withdraw its support if she accepts what it calls a "draconian solution" on offer from the European Union.Just six months before Britain is due to leave the EU, the two sides differ on their view of the talks - the bloc says a withdrawal deal is within reach, while British officials say "significant obstacles" still lie in the way of any agreement.They do agree on one thing - that time is running out to seal a deal to pave the way for Britain's divorce, the biggest trade and foreign policy shift for more than 40 years. As that departure date creeps closer, those wanting to influence May's approach to Brexit are stepping up their efforts.EU's Barnier calls for 'decisive progress' on Brexit for summit next weekOne of the biggest hurdles is an agreement on the so-called Irish backstop to prevent the return of a hard border between the British province of Northern Ireland and EU member Ireland if there is no immediate trade deal.A seamless border is part of the settlement which largely ended decades of violence in the province.Neither side has indicated there has been a deal on the Irish backstop. But after meetings in Brussels, the Democratic Unionist Party, which props up the Conservative government in parliament, has issued a series of terse warnings to May.DUP Brexit spokesman Sammy Wilson condemned what he said was the EU's offer for a backstop that would keep Britain in the customs union for an unspecified time-limited period, would exclude Northern Ireland from any new British trade deals and see checks on goods moving from mainland Britain to the province.EU's commissioner says 'we are not there yet' on BrexitBrexiteers set limit for UK PM Theresa May's trade deal with EUMay's acceptance of such a proposal "would have implications not just for Brexit legislation – 50 per cent of which would not have passed without DUP support – but also for the budget, welfare reform and other domestic legislation", he said."She will not have DUP support regardless of whether the government tries to bribe, bully or browbeat us into accepting it," he wrote in the Daily Telegraph newspaper.By withdrawing its support, the DUP could make it impossible for May to pass legislation through parliament, including the budget which will be voted on later this month.Tony Blair says UK needs a referendum to stop BrexitMeetingMay will gather several of her ministers later on Thursday as part of routine meetings to keep her cabinet team updated on progress in Brexit talks.The meeting takes place against growing criticism over her plans to leave the EU with some Conservative eurosceptic lawmakers saying they will vote against any deal based on her so-called "Chequers" proposal, named after her country residence.Former prime minister John Major, whose career as leader was crushed partly by eurosceptics, said the behaviour of some of those Conservatives was "an intolerable way to treat a prime minister who's in the middle of negotiations".But the parliamentary arithmetic is difficult for May. With the support of the DUP she commands a majority of only 13 lawmakers and needs to keep either her own party onside or attract votes from the main opposition Labour Party.Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has said the party will vote against any deal that does not meet its tests - something the Chequers plan does not fulfil.And former Labour leader Tony Blair added his voice to calls for the party to vote down May's Brexit divorce deal."My view is this only happens if there is blockage in parliament. But if there is blockage in parliament it is a very simple argument. You say look we have been two and a bit years trying to reach an agreement that works, parliament is blocked." 
Under pressure from parliamentary partner, UK's May meets ministers
With less than six months to go until the United Kingdom is due to leave the EU, May is seeking to rally support at home on the details of a divorce deal though it is unclear if she can win parliament's approval for any agreement.
British and EU negotiators are making headway on the Irish border issue, the biggest hurdle to an overall agreement, and hope for a Brexit deal breakthrough on Monday, diplomats said.
The Irish border "backstop", which seeks a way to avoid customs checks on the frontier between the British province of Northern Ireland and Ireland if there is no overall exit deal, has become the biggest sticking point in negotiations.
As both sides seek to clinch a deal, the United Kingdom will publish on Friday more of its so-called technical notices which lay out the impact of a no-deal Brexit on specific sectors of the economy.
The United Kingdom should call a referendum to allow voters to choose between a no-deal Brexit and staying in a reformed European Union as British politics is deadlocked over the issue, former Prime Minister Tony Blair said on Thursday.Less than six months before the United Kingdom's exit from the European Union, there is little clarity about how the world's fifth largest economy and its preeminent international financial centre will trade with the EU after Brexit.If Prime Minister Theresa May can strike a deal with the EU, she has to get it approved by the British parliament, which is deeply divided over Brexit.Some members of her ruling Conservative Party are unhappy about the Brexit proposals she has made, and the main opposition Labour Party has indicated it is likely to vote down any deal May brings back.EU's Barnier calls for 'decisive progress' on Brexit for summit next weekBlair, a former Labour prime minister, said he did not expect May to be able to get a deal through parliament so the country should be offered a new vote."It really is difficult... The alternatives are all worse because if you do get to a blockage in parliament that is what opens up the possibility of going back to the people," Blair, who was premier from 1997 to 2007, told a Reuters newsmaker in London."My view is this only happens if there is blockage in parliament. But if there is blockage in parliament it is a very simple argument. You say, look we have been two and a bit years trying to reach an agreement that works, parliament is blocked."EU's commissioner says 'we are not there yet' on BrexitBoth opponents and supporters of Brexit agree that the divorce is Britain’s most significant geopolitical move since World War Two, though they cast vastly different futures for the $2.9 trillion UK economy and the world’s biggest trading bloc.Blair has repeatedly called for reversing Brexit, echoing other critics such as French President Emmanuel Macron and billionaire investor George Soros, who have suggested that Britain could still change its mind.Blair said that if Brexit did happen, the economic dislocation would be such that the United Kingdom would have to pitch to investors that it would be the best place in the world to do business. 
Tony Blair says UK needs a referendum to stop Brexit
DEAL OR NO-DEAL?
May's Northern Irish supporters vehemently oppose any checks between the province and mainland Britain after Brexit.
The head of the Democratic Unionist Party, Arlene Foster, said May "could not in good conscience" back an EU proposal for checks on goods being imported to Northern Ireland from Britain after Brexit.
Under May's proposals, the whole of the United Kingdom would forge a customs partnership with the EU after a transition period ends in December 2020 in the event of the backstop being triggered.
Some of May's ministers have urged her to put a time limit on that plan.
The Times newspaper said May was warned the issue was so serious that she could face further cabinet resignations unless she found a way to ensure the backstop was not permanent.
Speaking to Northern Ireland journalists at her Downing Street office, May said on Thursday that talks on the Irish backstop were likely to continue until November.