ATTORNEY General Sir Geoffrey Cox has dumped bids to secure a time limit for the Irish ‘backstop’ it was claimed last night.

Sources said he has also realised the EU will never agree to giving Britain a way of unilaterally leaving the mechanism - designed to prevent a Hard Border.

Cabinet Ministers told the Telegraph they were resigned to the PM’s deal failing to secure a majority next week.

The Attorney General is now pushing for a joint arbitration body where an independent panel can decide whether it can end

Arch Brexiteer Steve Baker said the revelation showed No10 was “light years” away from meeting their demands.

A No10 spokesman said: “The Attorney General continues to pursue legally binding changes to the backstop that are necessary to ensure it cannot be indefinite.

“We will not however comment on the specifics of the negotiations at this critical stage.”