The Prime Minister has told her Cabinet she is not going to accept a Brexit deal “at any cost”.
Theresa May informed the ministers that an agreement with the European Union will depend upon an “acceptable” framework for the future.
On Tuesday she told the senior politicians these terms were based around trade and security while they also discussed a “review mechanism” in regards to the contentious backstop plan for Ireland.
This would be to ensure Britain does not become caught in an indefinite arrangement with any proposed backstop deal to prevent a hard border.
Following the Cabinet meeting, Mrs May's spokesman said: "The Prime Minister said she was confident of reaching a deal. She said that, while the UK should aim to secure a withdrawal agreement as soon as possible, this would not be done at any cost.
"The Prime Minister said that, once agreement was reached on a withdrawal agreement, it remains the case that nothing is agreed until everything is agreed and it will be subject to securing an acceptable full future framework."
This gathering came as hopes of a summit in November, to finalise the withdrawal agreement, appear to be waning.
A gathering of EU leaders in Brussels on November 17, the previously rumoured date, is thought to have been ruled out while one later in the month would rely on EU negotiator Michel Barnier declaring "decisive progress" has been made in talks.
Mrs May assured ministers there will be another Cabinet before any agreement is settled, though a spokesman for her said one is not planned and “there remains a significant amount of work to do”.
Mr Barnier himself said a breakthrough on the Irish border issue was not close.
"For now, we are still negotiating and I am not, as I am speaking to you this morning, able to tell you that we are close to reaching an agreement," he told Belgian broadcaster RTBF.
As the Irish border issue continues to be a point of contention, the Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar, told the PM on Monday he was ready to consider a review mechanism as part of a "backstop" arrangement keeping the border with Northern Ireland open after Brexit.
Though he stated he would not accept an arrangement which gave the UK unilateral powers to ditch the customs union with no agreement from Brussels.
Mrs May is thought to see the mechanism as a means of allaying concerns from Conservative and DUP MPs, who want guarantees that any future membership of a customs union is temporary.
DUP MP Sir Jeffrey Donaldson said Dublin's stance was seemingly making a no deal Brexit likely.
Conservative MP Anna Soubry, a leading supporter of the People's Vote campaign for a second referendum, said the uncertainty furthers the need for a public vote on any deal.
