Theresa May refused three times today to say whether she would resign if her Brexit deal is killed off by MPs.
The Prime Minister faces an 'impossible' battle to persuade enough MPs to back her deal next month and launched a PR blitz today in a bid to win the fight in the country.
Mrs May announced she would be going on the road to convince voters her deal was the 'right one' for Britain - effectively tying her political fortunes to the project.
But she refused to tell the BBC's Emma Barnett if she would quit if she fails during a live radio phone-in.
She said the deal - due to be signed off by the EU leaders on Sunday - would protect jobs and allow Britain to get on with Brexit in March.
But asked repeatedly whether she will resign if she loses in the Commons - as seems inevitable - Mrs May swerved the question to insist: 'No... I'm focusing on ensuring that we get this deal through Parliament.
'I believe this is absolutely the right deal for the UK. This is not about me.'
Asked again the Premier said: 'I'm focused on actually ensuring we do get this deal through Parliament, because I believe this is absolutely the right deal for the UK.
'This isn't about me. As I'm sitting here, I'm not thinking about me, I'm thinking about getting a deal through that delivers for the people of this country.
'That's what drives me and that's what is at the forefront of my mind.'
The hint will alarm wavering MPs, who fear the departure of Mrs May could plunge the Government into chaos and spark an election. She piled further pressure on MPs yesterday by urging them to focus on other people’s jobs rather than their own.
Mrs May's intervention came after former Brexit secretary Dominic Raab heaped pressure on the PM as she faces 'mission impossible' to get the package through Parliament.
Around 90 Tory backbenchers have now publicly declared that they will vote against the deal in a looming Commons showdown next month.
In a BBC phone in, Mrs May warned that EU is not 'going to give us a better deal' if MPs vote down her settlement
The Prime Minister today mounted another staunch defence of the settlement she has thrashed out with Brussels, saying it is the 'right' one for the country
The grim picture comes as Mrs May scrambles to clear the final hurdle in negotiations with the EU - an ambush from Spain over the status of Gibraltar.
The standoff showed little sign of shifting last night with Spanish PM Pedro Sanchez saying the two sides were still 'far apart'. Madrid wants Gibraltar excluded from a future trade pact, with its treatment decided bilaterally with the UK.
Mr Sanchez has insisted 'Spain maintains its veto' over the draft Brexit agreement during a press conference in Cuba.
Asked by reporters in Havana during his official visit if he intended travelling to Brussels on Sunday, he added: 'With regards to Gibraltar, I say the guarantees we have are still not enough.
'I insist, the guarantees are still not sufficient and therefore Spain maintains its veto in regards to the Brexit agreement.
'Logically if there is an agreement beforehand I will go to Brussels.'
Asked by another reporter to state categorically whether he would go to Brussels if Spain failed to reach an agreement with Britain and other EU member states before Sunday, he replied: 'If there is no agreement it’s evident that what will occur is that very probably the European Council will not take place.'
Questioned on exactly what Mr Sanchez was referring to when he spoke about 'insufficient guarantees', the Spanish PM replied: 'I reiterate what I said before, that the guarantees in the agreement that is being discussed in Brussels are not sufficient and therefore Spain still maintains its veto.'
Mrs May was savaged by MPs from all sides in a brutal Commons session yesterday, leading one Tory ally to remark privately that getting her plan through looked like 'mission impossible'.
Unless large numbers of MPs switch sides there are fears she could be defeated by well over a hundred votes when the crunch comes in the House next month.
A loss of that magnitude would likely leave No10's fallback option of making MPs vote again in tatters.
Mrs May used her interview today to appeal for MPs to look beyond the Westminster bubble and focus on 'people's jobs'.
'In Parliament there's a lot of focus on who's going to vote for the deal or not, and outside I think people are thinking 'Actually, let's make sure we can get this through and get on with delivering',' she said.
'My job is to persuade people. I believe this is the right deal for the UK. My job is to persuade people in Parliament of that view.
'And I think the job of an MP is actually, when they come to look at voting for this deal, to say to themselves 'Does it deliver on what people voted for?' - I believe it does - and secondly, 'What do we need to focus on for our constituents, for people up and down the country?'
'I believe people's jobs, people's futures, the future for their children should be at the forefront of MPs' minds.'
'I believe that if we were to go back to the European Union and say 'People didn't like that deal can we have another one?' I don't think they are going to come to us and say 'We will give you a better deal.'
Mrs May insisted that as far as she was concerned the UK will leave the EU in March 2019 as planned.
'Personally there is no question of no Brexit because the Government needs to deliver on what people voted for in the referendum in 2016,' she said.
'As far as I am concerned the UK is leaving the European Union on March 29 2019.'
Asked whether the UK would be better-off under her deal than it would be if it stayed in the EU, Mrs May said: 'I think we will be better-off in a situation which we will have outside the European Union, where we have control of all those things and are able to trade around the rest of the world.
'I was one of those people who said that it wasn't going to be the case that, outside the European Union, we were going to have the sort of problems that some other people said we would.
Former Brexit secretary Dominic Raab (pictured in the Commons yesterday) heaped pressure on the PM as she faces 'mission impossible' to get the package through Parliament
Tory former minister Phillip Lee (top) and Labour's Pat McFadden seized on the comments by Mr Raab about the attractions of Mrs May's deal
'But it's different. You say 'better-off'. Actually it's a different sort of environment and a different approach we will be taking to things.
'What will make us better-off is not so much about whether we are in the EU or not, it's about what we can do for our economy, it's about what we can do for our prosperity.'
PM reveals she was sent cupcake by girl to 'make her smile'
Nine-year-old Gabby Balaes sent the PM a cupcake with her face on it
The PM today revealed she was sent a cupcake by a nine-year-old girl who wanted to cheer her up over Brexit.
Mrs May said she had received messages of support from members of the public - including a young girl who made her a cake.
She told the BBC: 'I've had a huge number of messages - really kind messages - from people up and down the country, who have sent me flowers.
'One nine-year-old, Gabby Balaes, actually baked a cupcake with my face on it.
'There was a message. It said that her dad had said I'd had a tough week and she wanted to make me smile.'
She said she was 'sorry' and 'disappointed' that some members of her Cabinet had resigned over her Brexit stance, adding: 'Obviously, they have got strong feelings about this issue, they had campaigned to leave the EU and they had done good work in the Cabinet.'
Asked if she might sometimes 'go home and swear' about colleagues walking out, she replied: 'No, it's up to people's choice.'
Mrs May's comment came after a caller named Michael said he was not satisfied by her first response to his question, when she said: 'It will be a different world for us outside the EU, but it will be a good one... I genuinely believe there is a bright future for this country and our best days lie ahead of us.'
Mrs May told a caller named Nigel, from Tamworth, that she would be sending a Christmas card to David Cameron, who initially called the EU referendum. Asked whether she would also send one to Mr Rees-Mogg, she replied: 'All my Conservative colleagues I send Christmas cards to.'
Mr Raab - who plunged Mrs May into chaos by resigning over the deal last week - waded back in today, saying that the premier need to start thinking about alternatives.
Asked if the PM's deal was worse than remaining in the EU, Mr Raab told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: 'I'm not going to advocate staying in the EU.
'But, if you just presented me terms, this deal or EU membership, because we would effectively be bound by the same rules but without the control or voice over them, yes, I think this would be even worse than that.'
The last part of the Brexit deal - sketching out future trade terms after a mooted transition period ends in December 2020 - was dramatically signed off by negotiating teams yesterday.
During furious Commons clashes, the Prime Minister hailed the outcome.
'This is a good deal for our country, for our partners in the EU,' she told MPs. 'It ends free movement once and for all.'
She said a new immigration system would give people access based on 'what they can contribute to the UK', there would be no more 'sending vast sums of money to the EU', and the jurisdiction of the European court will end.
But Eurosceptics condemned the package as a 'costly surrender' and a 'betrayal of Brexit'. Boris Johnson said the inclusion of an Irish border backstop that would lash the UK to EU rules 'makes a complete nonsense of Brexit'.
Former Cabinet ministers Iain Duncan Smith and Owen Paterson, and DUP chief whip Jeffrey Donaldson also insisted the backstop must be scrapped altogether, warning: 'None of this is going to work.'
There was also anger that the issue of access to UK fishing waters appears to have been kicked back to be decided after March.
Remainers accused her of putting the country on course for 'blind Brexit' with vague commitments.
Some 88 Tory MPs have now publicly confirmed they will oppose the Brexit deal in a so-called 'meaningful vote' next month.
Once the 'payroll' of ministers is taken into account, that is over half the party's numbers in the Commons.
With the DUP, Labour, the SNP and Lib Dems also opposed, the prospects for the PM look bleak.
Downing Street is pinning hopes for success on MPs looking at the alternatives of chaos of Brexit being cancelled altogether, and swinging behind Mrs May at the last moment.
However, attention at Westminster has been turning to what happens if she lose the vote - with speculation Mrs May could try again in the New Year.
Allies fear that unless the result is relatively tight she could be so badly damaged she will have to quit. Barring large numbers of MPs changing their minds, the government appears to be on track for humiliating loss by well over a hundred votes.
Boris Johnson said the inclusion of an Irish border backstop that would lash the UK to EU rules 'makes a complete nonsense of Brexit'.
Spanish PM Pedro Sanchez (pictured with Mrs May in Brussels last month) said the two sides were still 'far apart'. Madrid wants Gibraltar excluded from a future trade pact, with its treatment decided bilaterally with the UK.
Education Secretary Damian Hinds was sent out to steady the ship today, insisting support for the deal would grow in Parliament.
'The deal that we have on the table is a strong deal. It is a good, balanced deal. As people reflect on what the alternatives are, I think people are going to come to see this is a very good deal for Britain,' he said.
'If we weren't to pass this deal, I think it becomes rather unpredictable what happens next. There is a risk on the one hand beyond that of no Brexit at all - and there are people trying to thwart Brexit - and there is also a risk of no deal.
'Neither of those two things are attractive. This is why I believe this deal, which is a strong deal, will gain more and more traction.'
In concessions designed to help Mrs May get the deal through Parliament, the 26-page future framework document - which is not legally binding - makes clear that Britain will have an 'independent trade policy'.
And it stresses both sides' 'determination to replace the backstop' for the Irish border with alternative plans in future - potentially reviving the 'Max Fac' technological solution favoured by Brexiteers.
The pact confirms that free movement will end, which was claimed as a win for the PM - but also states that the UK will not discriminate between nationals from different EU countries.
There would be visa free travel for all citizens making short trips, which will be a relief for holidaymakers.
Is May's deal already sunk? Eighty nine Tories have already come out against it meaning she must find more than 90 votes from Brexiteer rebels, DUP and Labour to get it through the Commons
Theresa May has secured her deal in Brussels but her fight to get it actually in place in time for Brexit day is just beginning.
The 'meaningful vote' promised to MPs is expected to happen in early December and is the single biggest hurdle to the Brexit deal happening - and Mrs May' fate as PM.
Mrs May needs at least 318 votes in the Commons if all 650 MPs turns up - but can probably only be confident of around 230 votes.
The number is less than half because the four Speakers, 7 Sinn Fein MPs and four tellers will not take part.
The situation looks grim for Mrs May and her whips: now the deal has been published, 89 of her own MPs and the 10 DUP MPs have publicly stated they will join the Opposition parties in voting No.
This means the PM could have as few as 225 votes in her corner - leaving 410 votes on the other side, a landslide majority 185.
This is how the House of Commons might break down:
Mrs May needs at least 318 votes in the Commons if all 650 MPs turns up - but can probably only be confident of around 230 votes.
Mrs May needs at least 318 votes in the Commons if all 650 MPs turns up - but can probably only be confident of around 230 votes.
The Government (plus various hangers-on)
Who are they: All members of the Government are the so-called 'payroll' vote and are obliged to follow the whips orders or resign. It includes the Cabinet, all junior ministers, the whips and unpaid parliamentary aides.
There are also a dozen Tory party 'vice-chairs and 17 MPs appointed by the PM to be 'trade envoys'.
How many of them are there? 178.
What do they want? For the Prime Minister to survive, get her deal and reach exit day with the minimum of fuss.
Many junior ministers want promotion while many of the Cabinet want to be in a position to take the top job when Mrs May goes.
How will they vote? With the Prime Minister.
European Research Group Brexiteers demanding a No Confidence Vote
Who are they: The most hardline of the Brexiteers, they launched a coup against Mrs May after seeing the divorce. Led by Jacob Rees-Mogg and Steve Baker.
How many of them are there: 26
What do they want: The removal of Mrs May and a 'proper Brexit'. Probably no deal now, with hopes for a Canada-style deal later.
How will they vote: Against the Prime Minister.
Other Brexiteers in the ERG
Who are they: There is a large block of Brexiteer Tory MPs who hate the deal but have so far stopped short of moving to remove Mrs May - believing that can destroy the deal instead. They include ex Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith and ex minister Owen Paterson.
Ex ministers like Boris Johnson and David Davis are also in this group - they probably want to replace Mrs May but have not publicly moved against her.
How many of them are there? Around 50.
What do they want? The ERG has said Mrs May should abandon her plans for a unique trade deal and instead negotiate a 'Canada plus plus plus' deal.
This is based on a trade deal signed between the EU and Canada in August 2014 that eliminated 98 per cent of tariffs and taxes charged on goods shipped across the Atlantic.
The EU has long said it would be happy to do a deal based on Canada - but warn it would only work for Great Britain and not Northern Ireland.
How will they vote: Against the Prime Minister.
Remain including the People's Vote supporters
Who are they: Tory MPs who believe the deal is just not good enough for Britain. They include the group of unrepentant Remainers who want a new referendum like Anna Soubry and ex-ministers who quit over the deal including Jo Johnson and Phillip Lee.
How many of them are there: Maybe around 10.
What do they want? To stop Brexit. Some want a new referendum, some think Parliament should step up and say no.
A new referendum would take about six months from start to finish and they group wants Remain as an option on the ballot paper, probably with Mrs May's deal as the alternative.
How will they vote? Against the Prime Minister.
Moderates in the Brexit Delivery Group (BDG) and other Loyalists
Who are they? A newer group, the BDG counts members from across the Brexit divide inside the Tory Party. It includes former minister Nick Boles and MPs including Remainer Simon Hart and Brexiteer Andrew Percy.
There are also lots of unaligned Tory MPs who are desperate to talk about anything else.
How many of them are there? Based on public declarations, about 48 MPs have either said nothing or backed the deal.
What do they want? The BDG prioritises delivering on Brexit and getting to exit day on March 29, 2019, without destroying the Tory Party or the Government. If the PM gets a deal the group will probably vote for it.
It is less interested in the exact form of the deal but many in it have said Mrs May's Chequers plan will not work.
Mr Boles has set out a proposal for Britain to stay in the European Economic Area (EEA) until a free trade deal be negotiated - effectively to leave the EU but stay in close orbit as a member of the single market.
How will they vote? With the Prime Minister.
The DUP
Who are they? The Northern Ireland Party signed up to a 'confidence and supply' agreement with the Conservative Party to prop up the Government.
They are Unionist and say Brexit is good but must not carve Northern Ireland out of the Union.
How many of them are there? 10.
What do they want? A Brexit deal that protects Northern Ireland inside the UK.
How will they vote? Against the Prime Minister on the grounds they believe the deal breaches the red line of a border in the Irish Sea.
Labour Loyalists
Who are they? Labour MPs who are loyal to Jeremy Corbyn and willing to follow his whipping orders.
How many of them are there? Up to 250 MPs depending on exactly what Mr Corbyn orders them to do.
What do they want? Labour policy is to demand a general election and if the Government refuses, 'all options are on the table', including a second referendum.
Labour insists it wants a 'jobs first Brexit' that includes a permanent customs union with the EU. It says it is ready to restart negotiations with the EU with a short extension to the Article 50 process.
The party says Mrs May's deal fails its six tests for being acceptable.
How will they vote? Against the Prime Minister's current deal.
Labour Rebels
Who are they? A mix of MPs totally opposed to Mr Corbyn's leadership, some Labour Leave supporters who want a deal and some MPs who think any deal will do at this point.
How many of them are there? Maybe 10 to 20 MPs but this group is diminishing fast - at least for the first vote on the deal.
What do they want? An orderly Brexit and to spite Mr Corbyn.
How will they vote? With the Prime Minister.
Other Opposition parties
Who are they? The SNP, Liberal Democrats, Plaid Cymru, Green Caroline Lucas and assorted independents.
How many of them are there? About 60 MPs.
How will they vote? Mostly against the Prime Minister - though two of the independents are suspended Tories and two are Brexiteer former Labour MPs.
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News Pictures May refuses THREE times to say whether she will quit if Brexit deal fails
You don’t have to pack away your bikini just because you’re the wrong side of 20. These body-beautiful stars reveal their secrets to staying in shape and prove you can smoulder in a two-piece, whatever your age. Read on and be bikini inspired!
TEENS
Hayden Panettiere
Size: 8
Age: 18
Height: 5ft 1in
Weight: 8st
To achieve her kick-ass figure, Hayden – who plays cheerleader Claire Bennet in Heroes – follows the ‘quartering’ rule. She eats only a quarter of the food on her plate, then waits 20 minutes before deciding whether she needs to eat again.
Hayden says: “I don’t have a model’s body, but I’m not one of those crazy girls who thinks that they’re fat. I’m OK with what I have.”
Nicollette says: “I don’t like diets – I see it, I eat it! I believe in eating healthily with lots of protein, vegetables and carbs to give you energy.”
kim cattrall
Size: 10-12
Age: 52
Height: 5ft 8in
Weight: 9st 4lb
SATC star Kim swears by gym sessions with Russian kettle bells (traditional cast-iron weights) and the South Beach Diet to give her the body she wants. To avoid overeating, Kim has a radical diet trick – squirting lemon juice on her leftovers – so she won’t carry on picking.
Kim says: “I am no super-thin Hollywood actress. I am built for men who like women to look like women.”
https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2018/11/23/12/6555992-6420883-image-a-1_1542976734970.jpg
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