Thread by @faisalislam

PM in quite a pickle here.
Brexiter MPs glum about "endless backstop" being a backdoor sellout. Davis also unhappy unless time-limited.

But Backstop with time limit "is not a backstop" says Irish & EU.

More important: backstop "immensely important" for Tory Remainer rebels.

The prospect of the backstop was being used to reassure Tory Rebels not to rebel next week on the EU Withdrawal Bill, and to give the PM a clean bill to take with her to Brussels...
They were also led to believe it was signed off in Cabinet already

If she changes tack on this, Remainer Rebels will lose faith in reassurances on NI, and vote against Government next week.
If she does not, what will David Davids, Foreign Sec do?

It is either time limited or it is not. Unless this is Quantum Brexit.

One Tory MP: "if the backstop is not there, it means Government can't push a policy through - the problem is the Cabinet and a breakdown of collective responsibility. If they dont like the policy they should resign"

Some Tory MPs have threatened to vote against the Programme Motion next week - one detail - Commons Leader likely to announce that the one day of debate is now over two days

But rebels on this side say "there is no deal" to vote out the Lords amendments next week - indeed they have made "a statement of intent" by signing up for an EEA/Efta amendment to the Trade Bill, giving another chance for this, probably next month

Importantly, some work also going on re potential Government amendments, and amendments to amendments that can be accepted - we will know tomorrow. But one example is Ireland, where Lords passed an amendment, which might well be accepted apart from one clause which DUP dont like

Last point - was told that the DUP have been squared off on the backstop - remember what Foster told our David Blevins about "only one red line" - same treatment across UK

Selected Tory MP quotes:
ex Cabinet minister: "its all very fluid"
Remainer: "dreadful awful mess. It just piles up"
ERG member: "I'm very worried"
Junior MP trying to get compromise: "time limited backstop not a backstop"
Grandee: "I understand DD has now disowned the backstop"