Theresa May has denied keeping pro-Brexit cabinet ministers in the dark in the bitter row over her “backstop” proposal to rescue the withdrawal talks.
The contents of the document – which prompted David Davis’ dramatic threat to resign – had been discussed “with ministers over the last few days”, the prime minister insisted.
She had “always been clear that the backstop was time limited”, the cause of the clash with the Brexit Secretary who was furious that no end date was included originally.
After tortuous negotiations, the four-page document eventually sent to Brussels said the government “expects” alignment with the EU customs union to end in December 2021.
However, it gave no commitment and set out no alternative solution to avoid a hard border in Ireland – the reason why the EU has insisted on the protection after transition is supposed to end a year earlier.
There are allegations that a draft with no end date was shared with senior Remain-supporting ministers before it was shown to leading Brexiteers including Liam Fox, the trade secretary.
But, asked if she had “bypassed Brexiteers”, the prime minister replied: “No, we have been discussing this with ministers over the last few days - the nature of this document and what we were saying.”
Speaking en route to the G7 summit in Canada, Ms May refused to give a "cast iron guarantee” that Britain would finally break free from EU trade rules in 2022, but said she was confident it would.
“We have said that we will actually be able to have that end state customs arrangement in place at the very latest by the end of December 2021.”
And she added: “We will be working to ensure that it is in earlier than that.”
She went further than before in arguing it would not be needed at all – despite HMRC chiefs admitting her own “customs partnership” solution, which would see the UK collect EU tariffs, will not be ready before 2023.
The alternative technology-based “max fac” plan appears to have been torpedoed altogether after HMRC put the annual bill at more than £20bn.
But, the prime minister insisted, the backstop would only be required at all if “for technical reasons” permanent customs rules were not “in place by the first of January 2021”.
Her “focus” remained on securing “best relationship” for long-term trade, although the EU has insisted those talks will not properly begin until after Brexit day, next March.
