Cabinet at war: Theresa May convenes ministers at Chequers to settle Brexit divisions

Theresa May has brought her cabinet ministers together at her country residence of Chequers in the hope of bridging some of the divisions that remain over Brexit.

Ministers have been at loggerheads over the direction that the UK should be moving, with pro-Brexit MPs calling for a clean break, while pro-remain minsters are calling for a softer and less harsh departure from the EU.

As well as her own ministers, the PM needs to convince EU leaders that the UK has a clear direction and vision that it wants from Brexit.

Before the UK officially leaves the EU, a transition period will take place, currently billed as from March 2019 to December 2020.

Ministers have so far failed to agree on how the UK should proceed during this near two-year period with debate over new rules and ongoing EU policies.

Speaking to the BBC, one former minister described the situation: "If everyone is happy it's a fudge. If anything's genuinely decided someone has to be unhappy.

"Either Philip Hammond has to agree that he is signed up to divergence, or Boris Johnson has to agree that he can accept alignment, or, someone resigns."

Minsters are set for talks that could last around eight hours which will begin with an afternoon meeting, followed by drinks and then dinner.

The key battle lines are whether Britain should remain in the Customs Union, or attempt to form a new union with Europe. The future of the Irish border remains a controversial subject and one that is also set to be discussed.

Chequers is a 16th-century mansion located in the Chiltern Hills in Buckinghamshire, and has regularly played host to foreign dignitaries who have visited the UK including Richard Nixon, Vladimir Putin and George Bush.