The Conservative Government has reportedly pledged to agreeing a so-called temporary customs arrangement in order to convince their Labour opposition to support the Brexit divorce deal. The compromise will see the 26-page political declaration on the future relationship redrafted to display a commitment to negotiate a customs union, covering goods, with the EU that would last until 2022. The Prime Minister’s theory sees the arrangement expire shortly after the next general election, which is due to be held on May 5, 2022 under the Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011.

The temporary nature of the deal would give each party the freedom to campaign for their own preferred future relationship vision.

The compromise offer prevents Britain from pursuing an independent trade policy and would see Britain align to a wide range of EU single market regulations on goods and workers’ rights.

Alex Phillips, a Brexit Party European Election candidate for the South East, said: “It’s clear Mrs May is trying to dupe the public yet again with another barely concealed lie.

“By trying to stitch up a deal with the Labour Party to remain in a customs union until the next general election, she is pushing through a version of ‘Remain’ in the hope that she will wash her hands of responsibility and let Labour drag us fully back inside. It would be Brexit by name only.”

She added: “The Eurocrats in Brussels will be smacking their lips at this revelation, but the British people will not be conned. It’s up to the few decent minded MPs left in Westminster to block this stitch up and call out Theresa May for he cascade of half truths and broken promises that has made a total mockery of our democratic vote.”

But realistically, the Prime Minister is using her Labour compromise as cover for allowing the transition period to be extended until December 2022.

In the 585-page draft EU withdrawal agreement, Britain and Brussels agreed that they could extend the transition period – during which the country remains in the EU’s single market and customs union – to avoid the Irish backstop from being triggered.

The 21-month period, which was negotiated in order to work on the future relationship without any cliff edge, is currently being eaten away every day that Britain remains an EU member state.

The divorce deal reads: “The Joint Committee may, before July 1, 2020, adopt a single decision extending the transition period up to December 31, 2022.”

This renders the offer of a temporary customs deal to Labour entirely irrelevant because there is already a ready-made soft Brexit option negotiated in the divorce deal.

Meanwhile, Conservative MPs are ratcheting up the pressure for Mrs May to set out a timetable for her resignation.

Sir Graham Brady, Chairman of the 1922 Committee of Tory backbenchers, is due to meet the Prime Minister today to demand a proper timetable for her departure.

Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, Committee treasurer, said Mrs May should announce a “road map” for her quitting after the European elections set for May 23.

He said: “We are now having to face the prospect of European elections. I would have thought that fairly soon after that would be time for her to think about setting a schedule to find her successor.”

Mrs May has pledged to step down after her Brexit deal is ratified, but has not offered an update on her position after agreeing to delay Brexit until October 31.

Hardline Brexiteer Steve Baker said it was “madness” that Mrs May was trying to strike a deal with Mr Corbyn “over the heads” of Tories and her parliamentary allies in the DUP.

He said that it “would be an act of unconscionable folly and of stupendous lack of foresight.

“Even to contemplate it is to declare surrender to Jeremy Corbyn as Prime Minister”.

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