Mubasher: UK Prime Minister Theresa May announced that the cabinet agreed to a draft deal on the country’s departure from the European Union (EU).

“I firmly believe it’s the best agreement that could be negotiated,” May told reporters after a five-hour meeting with her ministers on Wednesday.

This was a “decisive step which allows us to move on and finalise the deal in the days ahead,” May said.

May acknowledged that there would “difficult days ahead” as she would try to persuade the rest of the parliament with her plan.

Both Brussels and London have been scrambling to hammer out an agreement by the end of this year, to provide the time for UK and EU parliaments to ratify it ahead of the 29 March Brexit deadline.