Dr Farry was speaking ahead of another vote on the proposed deal on Tuesday. He said any such attempts would amount to a breach of the backstop.
“There is increased speculation the Conservatives and DUP are trying to unite around demands for major changes to the backstop. This approach is a dead-end. It would not constitute majority support to advance the Withdrawal Agreement, but rather an action to undermine it
“Any internal consensus is meaningless unless it realistically engages with the options available to the UK and the position of the EU. The open-ended backstop is a core component of the Withdrawal Agreement. The EU is clear this remains the position.
“The Prime Minister should be looking to build coalitions across the centre and either endorse a People’s Vote or seek to change the political declaration to telegraph a softer Brexit that would much reduce the likelihood the backstop would need to be invoked.
“Instead, this approach not only wastes time but increases the risk of a catastrophic no deal crash-out.”