Theresa May is to be hauled in front of an emergency meeting of the National Conservative Convention (NCC) in June after grassroots Conservatives demanded her resignation over her failure to deliver Brexit. Irish deputy Prime Minister Simon Coveney, however, warned the party changes in the leadership will not have the European Union change their stance on the controversial backstop included in the divorce deal to avoid a hard border on the island of Ireland. Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, Mr Coveney said: “These realities don’t change. This is not a personality-based issue, it’s an evidence-based issue.

“Within the current withdrawal agreement that’s available and that has been negotiated with the British Prime Minister, there are the flexibilities there to look at alternative arrangements to the backstop.

“If they work and if they stand up, they can replace the backstop but we have to move forward on the basis of knowing that we are not going to see the kind of damage done on the island of Ireland that the imposition of a border would result in.”

Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar had previously warned the British Government EU-Irish solidarity “will not diminish” and that Ireland’s concerns about the potential impact of Brexit on the island had become “the European Union’s concerns.”

Despite repeated attempts to pressure the EU into reopening discussions over the backstop to allow Theresa May to win support to pass her withdrawal deal in the Commons, the European Union has refused to budge.

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Brexiteers have voiced concerns the backstop may be used to force the United Kingdom into staying a member of both the customs union and the single market to avoid creating legislative differences between Britain and Northern Ireland. 

European Commission boss Jean-Claude Juncker has repeatedly rejected calls for renegotiations from Mrs May, insisting the bloc could offer “clarifications” but no changes. 

The position was reiterated by European Council Donald Tusk, whose spokesman in January said the backstop “remains the best and only way to ensure an orderly withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union”.

The spokesman added: “The backstop is part of the withdrawal agreement, and the withdrawal agreement is not open for re-negotiation.”

Theresa May in April agreed to a new extension of the Brexit deadline until October 31 and entered cross-party talks with Jeremy Corbyn shortly after.  

Last week Mrs May was believed to be considering giving into Labour demands for a new customs union with the EU but a report showed Britons would be £800 worse off in the event of such a deal. 

Economists predict that leaving with the kind of deal backed by the Labour Party would deliver an annual £80 billion hit to the UK’s national income.

The analysis, which was commissioned by the People’s Vote campaign, highlights how such a deal would affect the spending decisions facing an incoming Labour or Conservative government first in 2022, and then in 2027.

The Prime Minister had been facing increasing calls to resign from both grassroots Conservatives and her own MPs. Sir Graham Brady, chairman of the 1922 Committee of Tory backbenches, this week told Mrs May she will have to set a departure date whether she succeeds in having the Commons pass her divorce deal or not.

Sir Graham said Mrs May was planning to bring legislation implementing the EU departure agreement before the Europe-wide poll on May 23.

If she is to prevent MEPs from having to take their seats at the European Parliament on July 2, the bill needs to start its progress through Parliament this month, Downing Street sources told the Times

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