The Democratic Unionists have branded Theresa May’s bid for a Brexit extension as humiliating and embarrassing, with one MEP even comparing her to Oliver Twist.
Party leader Arlene Foster and Westminster leader Nigel Dodds both accused May of “begging” European leaders for help to break the impasse.
The senior figures in the government’s confidence and supply partners did not hold back in their criticism of the prime minister’s handling of the process as she spent the day holding talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron, the Press Association reports.
“The talks between the prime minister and the leaders of France and Germany is humiliating and embarrassing for the United Kingdom,” Dodds said on Tuesday evening.
“The problems the prime minister is attempting to solve were not created by the decision to leave the European Union, rather the ineffective negotiations by the prime minister to implement that decision.
“Nearly three years after the referendum the UK is today effectively holding out a begging bowl to European leaders.”
Northern Ireland MEP Diane Dodds tweeted a picture of Oliver Twist begging for food, with the hashtags #may #merkel #macron.
Earlier, Foster questioned May’s leadership qualities.
“She needed to be strong, she needed to show leadership, and I’m sorry to say that hasn’t been evident in these past couple of months,” she told the BBC.
Foster said the prime minister had found herself “pleading” to stay in the EU to resolve issues that should have been already settled.
“I find it quite painful to watch what’s going on at this present moment in time, it is rather humiliating that we are having to go and beg so that we can leave,” she said.
Elsewhere, May’s authority has been dealt another blow as Eurosceptic Tory MPs rebelled en masse against her bid to delay Brexit.
The Commons rubber-stamped the PM’s decision to ask Brussels for an extension of the Article 50 deadline to June 30, by 420 to 110, with Labour and opposition parties backing the government.
A total of 99 Conservatives, including Dominic Raab, David Davis and Jacob Rees-Mogg, rebelled to voted against the government as the Brexit crisis once again left May’s premiership hanging by a thread.