Politicians who want to leave the European Union without a hard Brexit have no choice but to back Theresa May’s deal, a Cumbrian MP believes.

As the Prime Minister came under the spotlight in the House of Commons yesterday, Conservative Rory Stewart described it as a “very good deal”.

The Penrith and the Border MP went on to argue that for those who want to avoid a ‘no deal’ Brexit, this is the best they could possibly hope for.

He said: “Many of the people who are against this deal are either people who want no Brexit at all, or a no deal Brexit.

"If you want a Brexit deal, then this is it. It’s pretty much the only kind of Brexit deal .”

The divorce terms that were agreed between Mrs May and EU leaders leave many details still to be ironed out.

The Northern Ireland border, Gibraltar and UK fishing waters are just some of the issues hitting the headlines.

But Mr Stewart said the withdrawal agreement was a good compromise, particularly on two of the key Brexit issues – immigration and future trade.

“I’m happy because it gives immediate control of immigration, which is what people voted for, and it also reassures the remainers who were concerned about the economy,” he said.

Mr Stewart claimed the trade agreement would protect manufacturing jobs, including at the Innovia Films factory in Wigton – part of his constituency.

But the Brexit deal has divided the Conservative Party and been condemned by rival politicians.

Mrs May is now working to try and gain enough support to get it through Parliament, saying it is within the national interest.

Asked whether his own party could even reach an agreement, Mr Stewart believes that it is the only “sensible” thing to do.

“Obviously the arithmetic looks tricky, but it’s hard to see how Parliament is going to vote for anything other than this,” he said.

“The way to get that backing is to keep explaining clearly what’s in this deal, and reminding people they need to be very careful.”

He stressed it would be “very risky” to have a second referendum, and would make many leave voters incredibly angry, while he said the only other real option would be a hard Brexit.

On Mrs May, he added: “She’s done unbelievably well. Far better than anyone could have predicted. This is sensible, and in the end I think sensible will win.”