The British Chancellor has said a “significant number” of UK politicians have changed their on the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement.

Philip Hammond was speaking after the UK Prime Minister urged to vote as “democrats and patriots” and back the deal when it returns to the House of Commons next week.

It has been reported that Brexiteer backbenchers, and potentially the DUP, may be on the brink of backing the deal.

Will there definitely be a third "meaningful vote" on #Brexit next week? #Marr asks Chancellor Philip Hammond https://t.co/lJpkUkMdDC pic.twitter.com/H1mgUluItC

— BBC Politics (@BBCPolitics) March 17, 2019

On the BBC’s Andrew Marr programme this morning Mr Hammond said the UK Government will not hold the vote unless it is confident it will pass.

“We are not just going to keep presenting it if we haven’t moved the dial,” he said.

“What has happened since last Tuesday is that a significant number of colleagues, including some very prominent ones who have gone public, have changed their view on this and have decided that the alternatives are so unpalatable to them that they, on reflection, think the Prime Minister’s deal is the best option open to them.”

Brexit

He said the Government is "not there yet" in terms of winning enough support, but insisted the negotiations are a “work in progress.”

He warned that rejection of the deal would “almost certainly” result in the UK requesting a much longer extension to the process, meaning the country will have to hold European Parliament elections.

Has the government offered more money for Northern Ireland to persuade the DUP to back the #Brexit deal? #Marr asks Chancellor Philip Hammond https://t.co/Ot4B0QVUhG pic.twitter.com/oBFp0cAh2D

— BBC Politics (@BBCPolitics) March 17, 2019

He insisted the government’s negotiations with DUP on the deal are “not about money” but rather “about political assurance” amid reports a "cash" deal is being negotiated in exchange for their support.

The UK Labour Party’s shadow chancellor John McDonnell has warned the Government against offering a "bung" in exchange for DUP votes.

“If there is any hint or indication that Philip Hammond is offering the DUP more money, another bung for their votes [...] I warn them that they will undermine confidence not just in our Brexit negotiations but in our political system overall," he said.

"Democrats and patriots"

Writing in The Sunday Telegraph this morning, Theresa May urged politicians to look beyond the categories of Leave and Remain when considering the deal.

“The time to define ourselves by how we voted in 2016 must end now,” she wrote.

“We can only put those old labels aside if we stand together as democrats and patriots, pragmatically making the honourable compromises necessary to heal division and move forward.”

She warned that rejection of the deal could result in the UK not leaving the EU for “many months, if ever.”

“EU leaders would require a clear purpose for any extension that was not merely technical,” she said.

“If the proposal were to go back to square one and negotiate a new deal, that would mean a much longer extension - almost certainly requiring the United Kingdom to participate in the European Parliament elections in May.”

"Open and generous"

Meanwhile, the Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has urged the EU to be as “open and as generous and as facilitative to the UK as we possibly can” when it comes to a possible extension of the Brexit process.

“Ultimately, after they leave the EU, we are going to still be neighbours; we are still huge trading partners, still security partners so we need to have a good relationship,” he said.