Theresa May is expected to set out plans to axe the Irish backstop from her Brexit deal with the EU, as she shuns efforts to find a cross-party consensus and focuses on winning over the DUP and rebels in her own party. From her countryside retreat of Chequers on Sunday, the prime minister convened a conference call with her cabinet. She briefed them on her recent calls with EU leaders and how she plans to respond to the historic defeat of her Brexit deal in the Commons last week. Cabinet sources have told Sky News that Mrs May made clear she was ditching efforts to seek a cross-party compromise, because the level of ... (full story)