PHILIP Hammond unveiled a surprise £66 million schools sweetener in Northern Ireland yesterday as he flew into the province to win over the DUP on Brexit.

The Chancellor said he was confident the Government would “sort out” its differences with the Ulster Unionists on Brexit as he began a meet and greet of business leaders and DUP MPs.

He said ministers were considering providing extra border backstop assurances including extending the Brexit implementation period ahead of the permanent relationship.

It came as Theresa May was accused of trying to buy off Tory rebels as Downing Street awarded a shock knighthood to veteran Eurosceptic John Hayes.

On a school visit in County Down Mr Hammond said: “I would much prefer to see us extending the implementation period and I am sure my DUP colleagues would take the same view.

“So we need to look at how we can provide reassurance about how we will use the options that the agreement gives us.”

The 10 DUP MPs the PM relies on to prop up her Government are furious over her draft Withdrawal Agreement and have vowed to oppose it.

The DUP’s arrangement to support the Government on key votes like finance and Brexit matters in exchange for £1 billion extra funding for Northern Ireland is at risk because of their dispute over the backstop.

The Chancellor said the DUP and Conservatives “don’t always agree on everything but I’m sure we’ll sort it out, we are two parties that agree fundamentally on the importance of maintaining the union”.

As part of the agreement, the Chancellor said £66 million would be released for shared and integrated education projects in Northern Ireland, to benefit 23 schools.

Theresa May separately faced accusations of hypocrisy last night after announcing John Hayes, a former Minister, would become Sir John in a rare honour - days before the crunch Brexit vote.

No.10 are desperate to win back scores of Tories who have publicly vowed to block Theresa May’s Brexit agreement.

A vote is due to take place in the week beginning December 10.

Last week Sir John demanded the PM “look again” at elements of her deal and warned he couldn’t accept the terms of the so-called Irish backstop.

But speaking last night he insisted the gong had no bearing on how he will vote.

He said: “I still need a lot of persuading to vote for this.”

But furious Labour MPs called it a “spectacular act of desperation."

Others pointed out that Theresa May vowed to clean up the Honours system following the outrage over ex-PM David Cameron’s resignation honours in 2016.