Spain's prime minister said the summit could proceed since he had received written assurances that meant that in the future, Spain and Britain could directly negotiate on Brexit issues relating to Gibraltar.

LONDON – Nothing is simple in Brexitland.

In the lead-up to a historic summit Sunday in Brussels, where a Brexit deal is expected to be rubber-stamped, tiny Gibraltar suddenly loomed large.

It literally put Britain’s European Union (EU) divorce settlement between “The Rock” and a hard place for a time. That’s because Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez insisted his country have final say over any future status of the enclave, a self-governing British territory on the tip of southern Spain and near the narrow mouth of the Mediterranean.

Spain, which has had a centuries-long feud with Britain over Gibraltar, wanted Britain to make a commitment in writing before the summit.

It went down to the wire. Late Saturday, Sánchez said Spain would lift its veto because the EU and Britain had accepted Spain’s demands. The summit, he said, could go ahead now that he had received written assurances that meant that in the future, Madrid and London could directly negotiate on Brexit issues relating to Gibraltar.

On Sunday, the leaders of the 28 EU countries are expected to meet in Brussels at a carefully choreographed summit to approve Brexit plans and an accompanying political declaration on the future ties between Britain and the 27 EU nations that will say goodbye officially in March.

The Brexit package, which is very much British Prime Minister Theresa May’s deal, has been painstakingly crafted. But it’s been a tortured path: 17 months of sometimes bitter negotiations, nonstop bickering within May’s own leadership team, ongoing concerns about how to handle the border between EU-member Ireland and North Ireland, the resignation of a string of ministers, including two Brexit secretaries, and a new vocabulary of Brexit-related puns and put-downs from British tabloids.

About 30,000 Britons live in Gibraltar, a 2.6-square mile rocky outpost that shares a land border with Spain. It was famously the headquarters for Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower during the planning stages of the Allied invasion of North Africa in 1942.

The sovereignty issues surrounding Gibraltar may have hit the headlines this week, but they are long-festering. Gibraltar was ceded to Britain in 1713 under the Treaty of Utrecht, but it is still claimed by Spain. In a 2002 referendum, its citizens overwhelming rejected a proposal of joint British-Spanish rule, instead opting to remain under the sovereignty of Britain only.

But the two countries have deep ties with each other; an estimated 12,000 workers cross the border every day. In the 2016 EU referendum, Gibraltarians voted 96 percent to remain in the EU.

May has said that any Brexit deal must apply to the “whole U.K. family,” including Gibraltar.

Spain can’t officially “veto” the withdrawal agreement, a 585-page legally-binding agreement, but the EU has worked hard at presenting a united front during Brexit negotiations and it wants a consensus on Sunday.

Donald Tusk, the president of the European Council, tweeted on Saturday afternoon that there was unity and solidarity from the EU side. He added: “No one has reasons to be happy.”

Even with the Gibraltar issue solved at the eleventh hour, May’s headaches are far from over. If the deal is signed off in Brussels this weekend, as expected, she still needs to persuade the majority of British lawmakers to back her deal – arguably her biggest challenge yet.</s>BRUSSELS (AP) — British Prime Minister Theresa May is kicking off a big Brexit weekend as she travels to the European Union headquarters in Brussels for talks on Saturday with key leaders.

Spanish objections over the status of Gibraltar — the tiny territory ceded to Britain in 1713 but is still claimed by Spain — is the only dispute left hanging ahead of Sunday’s summit of EU leaders.

May will meet with EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker and Council President Donald Tusk in the evening.

May hopes to leave Brussels on Sunday with a firm agreement on the withdrawal terms for Britain’s departure from the EU on March 29, as well as a comprehensive negotiating text on how future relations should look like once both sides agree on a trade agreement.</s>LONDON — Nothing is simple in Brexitland.

In the lead-up to a historic summit Sunday in Brussels, where a Brexit deal is expected to be rubber-stamped, tiny Gibraltar suddenly loomed large.

It literally put Britain's European Union divorce settlement between "The Rock" and a hard place for a time. That's because Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez insisted his country have final say over any future status of the enclave, a self-governing British territory on the tip of southern Spain and near the narrow mouth of the Mediterranean.

Spain, which has had a centuries-long feud with Britain over Gibraltar, wanted Britain to make a commitment in writing before the summit.

It went down to the wire. Late Saturday, Sanchez said it would lift its veto because the Europe Union and the Britain had accepted Spain's demands. The summit, he said, could go ahead now that he had received written assurances that meant that in the future Madrid and London could directly negotiate on Brexit issues relating to Gibraltar.

On Sunday, the leaders of the 28 EU countries are expected to meet in Brussels at a carefully choreographed summit to approve Brexit plans and an accompanying political declaration on the future ties between Britain and the 27 EU nations that will say goodbye officially in March.

The Brexit package, which is very much the British Prime Minister Theresa May's deal, has been painstakingly crafted. But it's been a tortured path: 17 months of sometimes bitter negotiations, nonstop bickering within May's own leadership team, ongoing concerns about how to handle the border between EU-member Ireland and North Ireland, the resignation of a string of ministers including two Brexit secretaries, and a new vocabulary of Brexit-related puns and put-downs from British tabloids.

Around 30,000 Britons live in Gibraltar, a 2.6-square mile rocky outpost that shares a land border with Spain. It was famously the headquarters for Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower during the planning stages of the Allied invasion of North Africa in 1942.

The sovereignty issues around Gibraltar may have hit the headlines this week, but they are long-festering. Gibraltar was ceded to Britain in 1713 under the Treaty of Utrecht, but it is still claimed by Spain. In a 2002 referendum, its citizens overwhelming rejected a proposal of joint British-Spanish rule, instead opting to remain under the sovereignty of Britain only.

But the two countries have deep ties with each other — an estimated 12,000 workers cross the border every day. In the 2016 EU referendum, Gibraltarians voted 96 per cent to remain in the European Union.</s>BRUSSELS (AP) — British Prime Minister Theresa May is kicking off a big Brexit weekend as she travels to the European Union headquarters in Brussels for talks on Saturday with key leaders. Spanish objections over…

BRUSSELS (AP) — British Prime Minister Theresa May is kicking off a big Brexit weekend as she travels to the European Union headquarters in Brussels for talks on Saturday with key leaders.

Spanish objections over the status of Gibraltar — the tiny territory ceded to Britain in 1713 but is still claimed by Spain — is the only dispute left hanging ahead of Sunday’s summit of EU leaders.

May will meet with EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker and Council President Donald Tusk in the evening.

May hopes to leave Brussels on Sunday with a firm agreement on the withdrawal terms for Britain’s departure from the EU on March 29, as well as a comprehensive negotiating text on how future relations should look like once both sides agree on a trade agreement.

Copyright © 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.</s>BRUSSELS (AP) — The Latest on Brexit negotiations (all times local):

Former British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson has slammed the proposed Brexit deal and urged the Democratic Unionist Party not to abandon the Conservative Party.

Johnson told the DUP conference in Belfast Saturday that the Northern Ireland party's support is crucial to the government.

He said that "I hope that you agree that it is absolutely vital that we keep this partnership going." Johnson warned of the dangers of weakening the Conservatives so much that the Labour Party led by Jeremy Corbyn comes to power.

The DUP is threatening to break with the government over Brexit.

Johnson said that Prime Minister Theresa May's government is "making a historic mistake" if it goes forward with its Brexit plan. He said it would greatly reduce Britain's influence and ability to make independent trade deals.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez says Spain will agree to support the Brexit deal after Britain and the European Union agreed to give it a say in the future of the disputed British territory of Gibraltar.

Sanchez says Saturday that the U.K. and the EU have agreed to include language in the Brexit divorce deal that Spain could deal with London directly on the issue of Gibraltar.

Sanchez says "this is going to allow us to have direct negotiations with the U.K. regarding Gibraltar."

The issue had become a late stumbling block in the Brexit talks. Sanchez had said on Friday he wouldn't back the divorce deal U.K. and European Union leaders are supposed to vote on during Sunday's summit in Brussels, saying a draft agreement did not include clear language regarding Gibraltar.

The European Union is close to reaching an agreement to ease Spanish concerns about the future of Gibraltar in Brexit talks.

EU spokesman Preben Aamann said on Twitter Saturday that after a phone conversation between Spanish Premier Pedro Sanchez and EU Council President Donald Tusk, "we are closer" to an agreement ahead of Sunday's EU summit in Brussels.

The future of tiny territory of Gibraltar — ceded to Britain in 1713 but which is still claimed by Spain — was the only dispute left hanging ahead of Sunday's summit.

On Friday, Spain pushed for a cast-iron guarantee of its say over the future of Gibraltar as a condition for backing a divorce agreement between Britain and the EU.

The deputy leader of the Democratic Unionist Party in Northern Ireland has used a party conference speech to try to persuade Prime Minister Theresa May to change course on Brexit.

Nigel Dodds told the conference in Belfast Saturday that it is not too late for May to alter her Brexit plan.

He says her proposed Brexit agreement reached with the European Union would leave the U.K. in a "pitiful and pathetic place."

The small DUP has an outsize role because its support has been crucial to May's shaky government, which doesn't enjoy a majority in Parliament.

The party is threatening to end its support over the Brexit plan favored by May. That would imperil May's already difficult challenge in winning parliamentary support for her proposal.

Portugal's foreign minister is in support of the Brexit deal including Spain's request to have its say on the future of the disputed British territory of Gibraltar.

Foreign Minister Augusto Santos Silva says that the original Brexit guidelines laid out last year that included assurances to Spain that it could deal with London directly on the issue of Gibraltar were "wise."

Spain said Friday it wouldn't back the divorce deal U.K. and European Union leaders are supposed to vote on during Sunday's summit in Brussels after language regarding Gibraltar didn't appear in a draft agreement.

Santos Silva says the impasse has an "easy resolution because the heads of state of the 27 had already agreed (.) that any agreement between the U.K. and the EU regarding Gibraltar would require previous agreement from Spain, and that appears to be a very wise line."

British Prime Minister Theresa May is kicking off a big Brexit weekend as she travels to the European Union headquarters in Brussels for talks on Saturday with key leaders.

Spanish objections over the status of Gibraltar — the tiny territory ceded to Britain in 1713 but is still claimed by Spain — is the only dispute left hanging ahead of Sunday's summit of EU leaders.

May will meet with EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker and Council President Donald Tusk in the evening.

May hopes to leave Brussels on Sunday with a firm agreement on the withdrawal terms for Britain's departure from the EU on March 29, as well as a comprehensive negotiating text on how future relations should look like once both sides agree on a trade agreement.</s>BRUSSELS (AP) — The Latest on Brexit negotiations (all times local):

The deputy leader of the Democratic Unionist Party in Northern Ireland has used a party conference speech to try to persuade Prime Minister Theresa May to change course on Brexit.

Nigel Dodds told the conference in Belfast Saturday that it is not too late for May to alter her Brexit plan.

He says her proposed Brexit agreement reached with the European Union would leave the U.K. in a "pitiful and pathetic place."

The small DUP has an outsize role because its support has been crucial to May's shaky government, which doesn't enjoy a majority in Parliament.

The party is threatening to end its support over the Brexit plan favored by May. That would imperil May's already difficult challenge in winning parliamentary support for her proposal.

Portugal's foreign minister is in support of the Brexit deal including Spain's request to have its say on the future of the disputed British territory of Gibraltar.

Foreign Minister Augusto Santos Silva says that the original Brexit guidelines laid out last year that included assurances to Spain that it could deal with London directly on the issue of Gibraltar were "wise."

Spain said Friday it wouldn't back the divorce deal U.K. and European Union leaders are supposed to vote on during Sunday's summit in Brussels after language regarding Gibraltar didn't appear in a draft agreement.

Santos Silva says the impasse has an "easy resolution because the heads of state of the 27 had already agreed (.) that any agreement between the U.K. and the EU regarding Gibraltar would require previous agreement from Spain, and that appears to be a very wise line."

British Prime Minister Theresa May is kicking off a big Brexit weekend as she travels to the European Union headquarters in Brussels for talks on Saturday with key leaders.

Spanish objections over the status of Gibraltar — the tiny territory ceded to Britain in 1713 but is still claimed by Spain — is the only dispute left hanging ahead of Sunday's summit of EU leaders.

May will meet with EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker and Council President Donald Tusk in the evening.

May hopes to leave Brussels on Sunday with a firm agreement on the withdrawal terms for Britain's departure from the EU on March 29, as well as a comprehensive negotiating text on how future relations should look like once both sides agree on a trade agreement.</s>Brussels [Belgium], Nov 25 (ANI): The leaders of the 27 countries of the European Union (EU) on Sunday endorsed the United Kingdom's withdrawal agreement from the bloc.

The approval of the deal came after European Council president Donald Tusk broke the news and took to his Twitter handle and wrote, "EU27 has endorsed the Withdrawal Agreement and Political Declaration on the future EU-UK relations."

The EU leaders gave consensus to the pact at a special summit held in Brussels, the seat of the EU, after negotiations which lasted nearly an hour, CNN reported.

British Prime Minister Theresa May, who prepared the Brexit deal, had shown complete support for the draft agreement and reiterated time and again that the pact serves UK's national interest.

With the EU leaders' endorsement of the deal, the Brexit agreement is now slated to go to the UK Parliament for a vote next month, where many opposition MPs, including those from May's Conservative Party, are expected to vote against the deal, owing to various disagreements.

On November 21, the Brexit deal suffered a setback after Spain threatened to veto the agreement over the handling of Gibraltar, a British territory on the Iberian Peninsula.

The Spanish government had objected to part of the deal that covers future trade and security relations between the UK and the EU, insisting that arrangements related to Gibraltar should be discussed separately. However, the problems were resolved following last-minute negotiations by Spain and the UK on Saturday.

In 2016, over 50 per cent of the UK electorate voted to leave the EU, following which the British government had triggered Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty, beginning the country's process of its exit from the European bloc.

According to the draft deal, the UK is scheduled to leave the bloc on March 29, 2019, after which it will move into a 21-month long transitionary period (post-Brexit transition). (ANI)</s>Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Theresa May: "I will make the case for this deal with all my heart"

EU leaders have approved an agreement on the UK's withdrawal and future relations - insisting it is the "best and only deal possible".

After 20 months of negotiations, the 27 leaders gave the deal their blessing after less than an hour's discussion.

They said the deal - which needs to be approved by the UK Parliament - paved the way for an "orderly withdrawal".

Theresa May said the deal "delivered for the British people" and set the UK "on course for a prosperous future".

Speaking in Brussels, she urged both Leave and Remain voters to unite behind the agreement, insisting the British public "do not want to spend any more time arguing about Brexit".

The UK is scheduled to leave the EU on 29 March 2019.

The EU officially endorsed the terms of the UK's withdrawal during a short meeting, bringing to an end negotiations which began in March 2017.

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said anyone in Britain who thought the bloc might offer improved terms if MPs rejected the deal would be "disappointed".

But European Council President Donald Tusk, who broke the news of the agreement on Twitter, said he would not speculate on what would happen in such a situation, saying: "I am not a fortune teller."

The UK Parliament is expected to vote on the deal on 12 December, but its approval is far from guaranteed.

Labour, the Lib Dems, the SNP, the DUP and many Conservatives MPs are set to vote against.

Mrs May has appealed to the public to get behind the agreement - saying that although it involved compromises, it was a "good deal that unlocks a bright future for the UK".

Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Prime Minister Theresa May meets EU leaders after their endorsement of her Brexit deal

At a news conference in Brussels, she said the agreement would:

end freedom of movement "in full and once and for all"

protect the constitutional integrity of the UK, and

ensure a return to "laws being made in our country by democratically elected politicians interpreted and enforced by British courts".

The agreement, she added, would not remove Gibraltar from the "UK family" - a reference to a last-minute wrangle with Spain over the territory.

What has the EU decided?

Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Jean-Claude Juncker: "There are no smooth divorces"

The EU leaders have approved the two key Brexit documents:

The EU withdrawal agreement: a 599-page, legally binding document setting out the terms of the UK's exit from the EU. It covers the UK's £39bn "divorce bill", citizens' rights and the Northern Ireland "backstop" - a way to keep the Irish border open, if trade talks stall

The political declaration, which sets out what the UK and EU's relationship may be like after Brexit - outlining how things like UK-EU trade and security will work

There was no formal vote on Sunday, with the EU proceeding by consensus.

Mr Juncker said it was a "sad day" and no-one should be "raising champagne glasses" at the prospect of the UK leaving.

While it was not his place to tell MPs how to vote, he said they should bear in mind that "this is the best deal possible...this is the only deal possible".

His message was echoed by Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar who said "any other deal really only exists in people's imagination".

But Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite suggested there were a number of possible outcomes if the UK Parliament rejected the deal, including an extension of the negotiations, or another referendum.

PM's message: 'This is all there is'

By Laura Kuenssberg, BBC political editor

It's a compromise. It was always going to be. It's not a happy compromise either. People on both sides of the Brexit argument are already screaming their protests.

And although the prime minister must be relieved, she didn't exactly say that she was pleased about the deal when I asked her at a news conference this lunchtime.

Instead, she said she was sure the country's best days are ahead.

But however she really feels about it - and with this prime minister it is hard to tell - her strategy for the next couple of weeks is crystal clear.

Her case? This is all there is.

What was the mood in the room?

No member states raised objections to the Brexit withdrawal deal and it was approved in a matter of seconds, according to a senior EU official.

Around seven leaders spoke in the session of the 27 member states, mostly to say this was a sad day and they wanted the future relationship with the UK to be as close as possible.

After Mrs May's address, roughly half of the leaders spoke. Several wished her good luck with the meaningful vote in Parliament.

No "what ifs" were discussed.

What happens next?

Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt appealed to so-called "Bobs" - people who he said are "bored of Brexit" - to support the agreement

Mrs May will now need to persuade MPs in the UK Parliament to back it.

She is expected to spend the next fortnight travelling the country trying to sell the deal before a parliamentary vote in the second week of December.

If MPs reject the deal, a number of things could happen - including leaving with no deal, an attempt to renegotiate or a general election.

Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said the parliamentary arithmetic was "looking challenging" and warned "nothing could be ruled out" if Mrs May lost the vote, including the government collapsing.

He told the BBC's Andrew Marr that the UK was getting "between 70% and 80%" of what it wanted, while the agreement "mitigated" most of the negative economic impacts.

Asked if the UK would be better off than if it stayed in, he said the country would not be "significantly worse or better off but it does mean we get our independence back".

The agreement will also have to go back to the European Council, where a majority of countries (20 out of 27 states) will need to vote for it.

It will also need to be ratified by the European Parliament, in a vote expected to take place in early 2019.

What are Mrs May's critics saying?

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn responded to Sunday's summit by calling the deal "the worst of all worlds".

He said his party would oppose it, but would work with others "to block a no deal outcome" and ensure "a sensible deal" was on the table.

Former Conservative leader Iain Duncan Smith said he would find it "very, very difficult" to support the agreement as it stood.

"I don't believe that, so far, this deal delivers on what the British people really voted for," he told Sky's Sophy Ridge show. "I think it has ceded too much control."

SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon - who wanted to stay in the EU - said it was a "bad deal" and Parliament should consider "better alternatives", such as remaining in the single market and customs union permanently.

And Democratic Unionist leader Arlene Foster - who wants to leave the EU - said her party's parliamentary pact with the Conservatives would be reviewed if MPs approved the deal.

She told the BBC's Andrew Marr show the agreement as it stood would leave Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK "still within European structures with no say in its rules".

Former PM Tony Blair, who backs another referendum, said the deal was "a dodo".</s>Disappointed Gibraltarians have reacted to Spain’s attempt to block Brexit, which previously threatened to derail Theresa May’s deal being agreed by European Union leaders at a special summit tomorrow.

One resident said: “The Spaniards are never going to change, so we are lumbered with that.

“Just remember when they closed the border, the things that happened during the franco era, and since then what has changed in their attitude. Very very little.”

Another Gibraltarian said: “Automatically these things tend to occur from time to time, but more so whenever Gibraltar’s under the focus of the EU, obviously because of the present Brexit negotiations.</s>Theresa May has arrived for a crunch EU summit to sign off her Brexit deal after stitching together a last-minute pact over Gibraltar.

Tomorrow's gathering was hurled into doubt after Spain threatened to "veto Brexit" if it didn't get more of a say over the Rock.

Eventually the spat was resolved - and invites sent out to 27 EU leaders - less than three hours before the PM's jet touched down in Brussels.

Spain and the UK both claimed victory after thrashing out a compromise in emergency talks. But May was accused of betraying the Rock.

Mrs May ignored a shout of "did you compromise over Gibraltar?" as she arrived with Jean-Claude Juncker's hand on her shoulder tonight.

She later insisted the UK's policy had not changed adding: "I will always stand by Gibraltar."

Jubilant European Council President Donald Tusk quoted Freddie Mercury on the 27th anniversary of his death, tweeting: "Friends will be friends - right till the end."

The compromise was resolved after a UK clarification about the position and talks between Mr Sanchez, Mr Tusk and Mr Juncker.

UK ambassador to the EU Sir Tim Barrow wrote that Gibraltar will not necessarily be part of a future trade deal between the UK and the EU.

Instead, it is being suggested in Brussels, Gibraltar could have its own separate agreement - with Spain retaining the power of veto.

Tonight Mrs May insisted she would "negotiate on behalf of the whole UK family, including Gibraltar" and "the UK's position on the sovereignty of Gibraltar has not changed and will not change."

She added: "I am proud that Gibraltar is British and I will always stand by Gibraltar."

Yet Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez - who has highlighted the issue ahead of domestic elections - declared triumphantly: "Europe and the UK have accepted our demands".

And foreign minister Josep Borrell claimed the agreement was "the most important" since the Treaty of Utrecht in 1713 under which Gibraltar was ceded to the UK.

Liberal Democrat Brexit spokesman Tom Brake claimed Mrs May had "caved in" and "appears to have cast the people of Gibraltar aside".

He said: "She has conceded that Gibraltar won't necessarily be covered by a future trade deal, simply another example of why what she has negotiated is completely unacceptable."

The agreement makes it easier for EU leaders to sign off the Brexit deal tomorrow.

But it could make things even tougher when Theresa May has to get her deal past a crucial House of Commons vote.

Will Theresa May win the Brexit deal vote? Theresa May has a Brexit deal, but the danger is looming that it will be defeated in the House of Commons. Even getting it past her Cabinet forced Esther McVey and Dominic Raab to resign. Now she faces two more hurdles - an EU summit with 27 leaders on November 25, and then the vote in Parliament at some point before Christmas. MPs are grouped in several factions - their warring opinions are explained more fully here. But if 318 or more vote against the deal, they will defeat the deal. TORY BREXITEERS: There are up to 60 (but probably a lot fewer), led by Boris Johnson and Jacob Rees-Mogg. They will vote down a deal that keeps Britain trapped in "vassalage" with Brussels. TORY HARD REMAINERS: Only about a dozen, but many - including Justine Greening and Jo Johnson - will vote against, instead wanting a second referendum. DUP: Theresa May's Northern Irish allies - who she handed £1.5bn - are 10-strong. They will vote down the deal if it allows customs checks between Ulster and Britain. LABOUR LOYALISTS: About 150 MPs are consistently loyal to Jeremy Corbyn on Brexit. The party has confirmed they'll be told to vote against the deal because it doesn't meet Labour's 'six tests'. LABOUR REMAINERS: There are about 50 hard Remainer Labour MPs. They're likely to oppose the deal to avoid enabling a Brexit. OTHERS: The SNP (35), Lib Dems (12), Plaid Cymru (4) and Greens (1) are all likely to vote against. TORY LOYALISTS: Well over 200 are likely to vote with Theresa May, for the deal. Many have paid government jobs - so would have to quit if they oppose her. 'NERVOUS LABOUR': Some Labour MPs could BACK a deal - fearing otherwise Britain will be plunged into an even worse No Deal. There could be 20 or more. Caroline Flint is among them. LABOUR BREXITEERS: There are only about half a dozen. It was generally thought they'd side with Theresa May, but Kate Hoey MP broke ranks and said she could vote against.

Today DUP leader Arlene Foster warned she could rip up her pact to support the Tories - which cost £1bn - over the Brexit deal.

And Tory Boris Johnson was given a rapturous reception at the DUP's conference in Belfast as he urged the party to "junk" the agreement.

He hit out at a customs 'backstop' - backup plan - which would extend EU customs rules across the UK with no easy exit plan.

"Unless we junk this backstop, we will find that Brussels has got us exactly where they want us - a satellite state," he said.

Theresa May arrived at the European Commission building tonight for talks with Mr Tusk and European Commission President Mr Juncker.

Mr Juncker held her deep in conversation and put a reassuring hand on her shoulder as they walked to waiting press, flanked by EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier.

The PM smiled and failed to answer questions about whether she had compromised over Gibraltar.

Earlier Chancellor Philip Hammond urged a "political healing process, bringing our country back together because countries that are disunited and divided are not successful countries."

25 November 2018: Emergency EU summit with 27 other leaders to sign off the deal. Early December? A vote in the House of Commons on the deal. 13 December: The last chance EU Council summit, where deal could come back for more negotiation. 20 December: Parliament rises for its Christmas break. Final or 're-run' vote by MPs must be held before now. If it fails there could be no deal, or a general election, or a second EU referendum. 29 March 2019: Brexit Day. If there's a deal, this will be a total anticlimax because a transition will be in place. If there's No Deal, planes could be grounded, ports jammed up and customs checks thrown into chaos at 11pm. 31 December 2020: If there's a deal, this is when the transition period - which continues pretty much all the EU rules we have now - is supposed to end. But it could be extended by two more years. 1 January 2021: If there's still no deal, under current plans a "backstop" would kick in. This could keep the UK tied to EU customs rules, until a proper agreement is reached, in exchange for keeping the Northern Ireland border open. Read the full guide to the timetable here.

He also warned of "economic chaos" if the deal is voted down in Parliament, saying: "I am sure we would get a very negative reaction from the business community, from investors, from the markets."

Meanwhile, the Daily Telegraph reported the Home Office has drawn up plans to issue low-skilled migrants with 11-month visas "with restricted entitlements and rights" while they are living in the UK as part of the post-Brexit immigration system.

Alternative plans could allow EU migrants aged between 18 and 30 to live and work in the UK for two years, with a strict cap on numbers.

The Government will abolish the cap on highly skilled "tier 2" migrants entirely, the report said, with the plans set out in the week beginning December 3 - a week before the crunch Brexit vote is expected in the Commons.
European Union leaders approve the proposed Brexit deal, at a summit in Brussels.