Brexit news latest: Five Cabinet ministers 'launch bid to change Theresa May's draft plan'

Five leading Cabinet ministers are reportedly trying to force Theresa May to change her draft Brexit deal.

The BBC reported the group of five, led by Commons leader Andrea Leadsom, are trying to alter proposals on the Irish backstop.

The group – also including Brexiteers Michael Gove, Liam Fox, Penny Mordaunt and Chris Grayling – were said to be seeking change which would see new technology or a free trade deal included in the draft text.

The Irish border issue has been one of the key stumbling blocks of the government’s Brexit negotiations, while a number of ministers resigned after the draft proposals were published this week.

But Prime Minister Ms May warned detractors that alternate Brexit plans would not make their problems disappear as she faced a continuing gruelling battle to win over sceptical MPs.

In an interview with the Daily Mail, the Prime Minister bluntly told opponents their alternatives would not work.

She said: “People say: 'If you could only just do something slightly different, have a Norway model or a Canada model, this backstop issue would go away.’ It would not. That issue is still going to be there.

“Some politicians get so embroiled in the intricacies of their argument they forget it is not about this theory or that theory.”

Ms May appointed Stephen Barclay as her new Brexit secretary, the third this year, on Friday. But the role has been downgraded as she will take sole control of negotiations on EU withdrawal.

Leave-supporting Mr Barclay's job will be limited to the domestic delivery of EU withdrawal, preparations for Brexit either with or without a deal, and shepherding legislation through Parliament.

He said: "We now need to keep up the momentum to finalise the withdrawal agreement and outline political declaration and deliver a Brexit that works for the whole UK."

The reshuffle came just hours after Michael Gove offered the Prime Minister a lifeline by staying on in his Cabinet role.

Mr Barclay's appointment came after Mr Gove reportedly turned down the post, saying he would only take it if he could renegotiate the EU withdrawal agreement.

Downing Street declined to say whether the Brexit Secretary post had been offered to anyone else before the North-East Cambridgeshire MP, saying only: "He was the Prime Minister's choice for the job."

Ireland's deputy premier has warned British politicians to sign up to the current Brexit agreement or risk crashing out of the EU without a deal.

Simon Coveney said people were "too quick" to write off Mrs May, saying she has shown "resilience, courage" and a "reality check" to Brexiteers in Westminster.

Speaking ahead of Fine Gael's Ard Fheis (conference), he warned it "will be difficult" to find an alternative deal that will prevent a hard border.

"If we are forced into that situation we will have to look at ways in which that can be avoided but that will not be easy," he said.

"It is a far more sensible approach to support what is being negotiated over the last two years as a way that we know provides the guarantees that we have looked for and insisted on that there will be no physical border or infrastructure or checks or controls and that is an issue that goes beyond commerce and trade.

David Davis, who was Brexit secretary before Mr Raab, had earlier used a series of tweets to again urge Mrs May to seek a looser deal with the EU.

He said the United States would be ready to start negotiating a free trade deal with Britain "immediately" after Brexit if Theresa May's plan is ditched, while making a trip across the Atlantic.

The former Brexit secretary revealed he had spent several days in Washington talking to "US Government Trade and Treasury officials" while Westminster had been reeling from high-profile resignations and questions over the Prime Minister's future.

"They have already started on the procedures to allow negotiations to start immediately once we leave the EU in March," he said.

"This will not be possible if we accept the Government's proposed deal with Europe, which will block every avenue of negotiation with America.

"We have to have a Canada+++ deal to allow us to have a free trade deal with America.

Additional reporting by Press Association.