British cabinet to assess May Brexit deal

British Prime Minister Theresa May will present a hard-fought Brexit deal to her cabinet, in what could be a defining moment for her premiership and Britain's departure from the European Union.

Ministers were able to read the agreement, struck between British and EU negotiators, before the meeting on Wednesday.

Some were brought in to have one-on-one discussions with May on Tuesday.

A government spokesman said that the ministers would "decide on next steps" during the meeting.

If the cabinet rejects the agreement, then the EU and Britain will still be without any deal in sight as the March 29 deadline looms ever closer.

However, if the ministers accept the plan, Britain will be able to call for a special EU summit on Brexit, bringing them one step closer to securing a final deal.

The two sides have been trying to reach an exit agreement that will prevent Britain from crashing out of the EU without a consensus on what happens next.

Long-standing disagreement regarding some key issues, including the question of how to regulate the Irish border, has stymied progress in recent months.

May has been under growing political pressure about the Ireland issue and other aspects of Brexit from both inside her own party and cabinet and among the wider population.

A majority of 52 per cent voted to leave the European Union in June 2016, with a turnout of 72 per cent of the 46.5 million eligible voters.